Arthritis Treatment in Knoxville, TN
Arthritis can make joints feel stiff, sore, swollen, or less reliable during normal movement. Homberg Chiropractic & Wellness helps patients understand how joint mechanics, strength, mobility, and functional support may improve day-to-day activity.
Book An AppointmentArthritis Treatment At A Glance
Last Reviewed By: Dr. Craig Hennie, D.C. on May 26, 2026
Arthritis is a common cause of joint pain and stiffness, especially when wear, inflammation, old injuries, or reduced mobility begin affecting how a joint moves. Symptoms may appear in the spine, hips, knees, shoulders, hands, feet, or other joints, and they can interfere with work, exercise, sleep, and daily independence.
At Homberg Chiropractic & Wellness, we take a function-first approach to arthritis-related symptoms. Chiropractic care does not erase arthritis, but it may help improve motion, reduce mechanical stress, and support the muscles and movement patterns that protect irritated joints.
Care may include Chiropractic Care & Functional Rehabilitation, Extremity and Hypermobility Care, Cold Laser Therapy, Dry Needling, Radial Pressure Wave (RPW) Therapy, or other supportive services when appropriate. Our goal is to help you move better, feel stronger, and maintain more confidence in daily life.
What Is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a broad term for conditions that involve joint inflammation, cartilage changes, stiffness, pain, or reduced joint function. The most familiar form is osteoarthritis, which often develops as joint cartilage and surrounding structures change over time.
Joints include cartilage, bone, ligaments, joint capsules, muscles, and nerves that work together to support movement. When the joint becomes irritated or less mobile, the surrounding muscles may tighten or weaken, which can increase stress during daily activity.
Arthritis may be gradual and persistent, but symptoms can also flare after activity, weather changes, injury, illness, or periods of reduced movement.
Not all arthritis is the same. Inflammatory arthritis, autoimmune arthritis, gout, and infection-related joint pain require medical management. Chiropractic care is most appropriate when the goal is conservative support for mobility, mechanics, strength, and function. The exact pattern matters because treatment should match the structure, movement pattern, and functional limitation involved. This gives the evaluation a practical focus from the beginning.
Common Symptoms Of Arthritis
Arthritis symptoms often include joint pain, stiffness, swelling, tenderness, reduced range of motion, and difficulty with repetitive or weight-bearing activity. Symptoms may be mild on some days and more limiting during flare-ups.
Many people notice stiffness in the morning, after sitting, or after periods of inactivity. The joint may feel better after gentle movement, then become sore again after heavier activity or prolonged use.
Functional patterns depend on the joint involved. Knee arthritis may affect stairs and walking, hip arthritis may limit getting in and out of a car, shoulder arthritis may restrict reaching, and spinal arthritis may cause stiffness with sitting, standing, or turning.
Arthritis can also affect confidence. Patients often avoid certain movements because they worry about pain, weakness, or losing mobility over time. These details help us understand which tissues are irritated, which movements need support, and which daily activities should guide the care plan. They also help distinguish local symptoms from referred or compensatory patterns that can feel similar.
What Causes Arthritis?
Arthritis can develop from several different processes, and the cause determines the appropriate care pathway. Osteoarthritis is commonly related to changes in cartilage, joint surfaces, mechanics, injury history, and cumulative load over time.
Mechanical contributors include joint restriction, muscle weakness, poor movement control, altered gait, old injuries, and reduced mobility. These patterns can increase stress through already sensitive joints.
Inflammatory or autoimmune arthritis involves the immune system and requires medical diagnosis and management. Gout, infection, and systemic illness can also cause joint pain that should not be treated as ordinary mechanical arthritis.
Lifestyle and capacity factors can influence symptoms. Activity spikes, prolonged inactivity, poor recovery, excess repetitive load, and reduced strength may all affect how arthritis feels day to day.
Conditions That Can Mimic Arthritis
Several conditions can mimic arthritis because they also cause joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. Tendon irritation, bursitis, ligament sprain, nerve irritation, and muscle referral can all make a joint feel arthritic even when the joint surface is not the main source.
Inflammatory arthritis, gout, infection, and autoimmune conditions can also resemble mechanical joint pain at first. These conditions may involve marked swelling, warmth, redness, fever, sudden severe pain, or symptoms in multiple joints.
Accurate evaluation matters because arthritis-related stiffness, tendon pain, and inflammatory disease require different care strategies. Homberg Chiropractic & Wellness assesses movement, history, joint behavior, and red flags before recommending conservative care.
When To Seek Urgent Care For Arthritis
Seek urgent medical care for joint pain if the joint is hot, red, severely swollen, or accompanied by fever, sudden severe pain, inability to bear weight, unexplained weight loss, rash, recent infection, or symptoms affecting multiple joints quickly. These signs may indicate inflammatory disease, infection, gout, fracture, or another medical condition. When these signs are present, medical assessment should come before conservative chiropractic treatment so serious causes can be ruled out.
What Our Patients Are Saying
How We Diagnose Arthritis
Diagnosing arthritis-related symptoms at Homberg Chiropractic & Wellness begins with clarifying whether pain appears mechanical, inflammatory, injury-related, or medically complex.
We review your symptom history, affected joints, activity patterns, morning stiffness, flare triggers, previous diagnoses, and functional limitations. Movement testing helps identify restricted motion, strength deficits, compensation, and joint loading patterns.
Dr. Hennie may assess spinal or extremity joint mobility, posture, gait, muscle function, and neurological signs when needed. X-rays may be considered when structural information would help guide care or when joint degeneration needs to be understood more clearly.
If your symptoms suggest inflammatory disease, infection, fracture, or another medical concern, referral is recommended before conservative treatment proceeds.
How Homberg Chiropractic & Wellness Treats Arthritis
Arthritis care at Homberg Chiropractic & Wellness focuses on mobility, strength, mechanics, and practical function. We do not claim to remove arthritis, but we may help the body move with less mechanical stress around irritated joints. The goal is to match each service to the driver of your symptoms and the function you need to restore.
Chiropractic Care
We combine exam-informed adjustments, standing X-rays when indicated, Zone Technique, and rehab to restore function, not just relieve symptoms.
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Spinal Curve Rehabilitation
We use extension traction and Denneroll protocols to help restore spinal curves and support longer-lasting structural correction.
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Cold Laser Therapy
Cold laser therapy uses low-level light to support tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and complement structural care.
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Dry Needling
Dry needling targets trigger points to release deep muscular tension, restore movement, and support structural correction.
Learn MoreWhy Early Treatment Matters
Early conservative support for arthritis-related symptoms matters because stiffness, weakness, and avoidance can gradually reduce function. When joints move less, surrounding muscles may lose capacity, which can make daily activity feel harder.
An early evaluation helps identify safe movement strategies, mechanical contributors, and whether symptoms fit a conservative care pathway. The goal is to preserve as much mobility, strength, balance, and confidence as possible while recognizing when medical referral or co-management is needed.
Meet The Team
Dr. Craig Hennie, Chiropractor
Dr. Craig Hennie has served Knoxville Bearden since graduating from Cleveland Chiropractic College in 2002. His recovery from chronic post-accident headaches shaped his function-first approach. He is Zone Certified, Board Qualified for Acupuncture, a Certified Medical Examiner, and trained in whiplash rehabilitation, cold laser therapy, kinesio taping, and non-spinal disorders.
Meet the Team
Madison McGill, Office Manager and Chiropractic Therapy Assistant
Madison keeps the clinic running with the efficiency and warmth that sets the tone for every patient experience. She is a certified chiropractic therapy assistant with more than four years in the chiropractic field.
Meet the Team
Salem Plaag, Chiropractic Therapy Assistant
Salem brings experience and attention to detail to every patient interaction as a certified chiropractic therapy assistant.
Meet the TeamServing Knoxville And Nearby Communities
Homberg Chiropractic & Wellness serves patients from Knoxville, Bearden, Sequoyah Hills, West Knoxville, areas near downtown Knoxville, and the University of Tennessee community. Our location and care model are built for patients who want a thorough evaluation, clear recommendations, and function-focused chiropractic care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Book Arthritis Treatment In Knoxville
Arthritis treatment in Knoxville should focus on what can be improved: mobility, mechanics, strength, balance, and day-to-day function. Homberg Chiropractic & Wellness evaluates your joints, movement patterns, symptoms, and goals before recommending care. If arthritis-related pain or stiffness is limiting your life, book an appointment for a functional evaluation. After your evaluation, we will explain the findings and the recommended next step.