Acupuncture for Arthritis

Acupuncture is one of the oldest medical procedures in the world. When properly administered, it has been shown to have the ability naturally relieve arthritic conditions.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a disease that causes pain and inflammation in joints and can be widespread throughout the body. Arthritis is a complex disorder and can affect people at any stage of life. The common thread among arthritis conditions is persistent joint pain and inflammation of the joints. Arthritis pain and inflammation cannot be avoided as the body ages. Acupuncture and chiropractic treatment can help you manage it to a greater degree and improve joint function.

Acupuncture treatment points for arthritis are located all over the body and not just directly over the affected area. During treatment, acupuncture needles are placed along acupuncture points along the body. The needles stay in the area for a set amount of time and are then removed. The length, number and frequency of treatments will vary according to the patient’s symptoms such as pain intensity, duration and chronicity.

What does the research say?

The relief of arthritis pain through acupuncture has been studied many times.  The results indicate that acupuncture is an effective form of pain management. Many studies have been done on a range of arthritis sufferers – from patients awaiting hip replacements, to knee surgery patients, as well as people suffering from osteoarthritis.

A recent study completed by the US National Institute of Health, showed that patients who underwent acupuncture treatment for osteoarthritis reported a 44% average reduction in pain and 40% improvement in mobility.

Acupuncture treatment for knee osteoarthritis

Additionally, a recent systematic review found that acupuncture alone or combined with other manual treatments is beneficial to clinical conditions of rheumatoid arthritis without any adverse effects reported and can improve function and quality of life.

The popularity of acupuncture as a treatment for arthritic conditions continues to grow. This is because more and more people have found significant relief from acupuncture and manual treatments without the negative effects that sometimes accompany conventional treatments.

For more information on whether acupuncture treatment is right for you, contact us to book an appointment or book online here.

References

1. Corbett, M S et al. “Acupuncture and other physical treatments for the relief of pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee: network meta-analysis” Osteoarthritis and cartilage vol. 21,9 (2013): 1290-8.
2. M. S. Lee, B.-C. Shin, E. Ernst; Acupuncture for rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review, Rheumatology, Volume 47, Issue 12, 1 December 2008, Pages 1747–1753, https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/ken330