Acupuncture for Arthritis
May is National Arthritis Month and there's no better
time to take action. If you suffer with arthritis, acupuncture can help.
Arthritis is one of the most pervasive diseases in the United States and is
the leading cause of disability. According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, one out of every three Americans (an estimated
seventy million people) is affected.
For most people, arthritis pain and inflammation cannot be avoided as the
body ages. In fact, most people over the age of fifty show some signs of
arthritis as joints degenerate over time. Fortunately, arthritis can often
be managed with acupuncture.
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is not just one disease; it is a complex disorder that comprises
more than one hundred distinct symptoms and can affect people at any stage
of life. Two of the most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis and
rheumatoid arthritis. While these two forms of arthritis have very
different causes, risk factors and effects on the body, they share a common
symptom—persistent joint pain.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis in the United
States. OA begins with the breakdown of joint cartilage, resulting in pain
and stiffness. Commonly affected joints include the fingers, knees, hips,
and spine. Other joints affected less frequently include the wrists,
elbows, shoulders, and ankles. When OA is found in a less frequently
affected joint, there is usually a history of injury or unusual stress to
that joint. Repetitive injury and physical trauma may contribute to the
development of OA. If you have a strenuous job that requires repetitive
bending, kneeling, or squatting, for example, you may be at high risk for
OA of the knee.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that
may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial
joints. Inflammation of the joint lining, called the synovium, causes pain,
stiffness, swelling, warmth, and redness. The affected joint may also lose
its shape, resulting in loss of normal movement.
Eastern View of Arthritis
In Oriental medicine, arthritis is called "Bi Syndrome." Bi
Syndrome manifests as pain, soreness, or numbness of muscles, tendons and
joints. Arthritis is treated according to which type of Bi Syndrome it
falls into:
1. Moving (Wind) Bi Syndrome: Pain in the joints is widespread and moves
from one area of the body to another. This is often accompanied by fever
and chills.
2. Stationary (Damp) Bi Syndrome: The pain is localized and does not move.
The body and limbs feel heavy and there is numbness and swelling.
3. Painful (Cold) Bi Syndrome: Severe pain in one part, or over one half of
the body which becomes worse with cold and diminishes with warmth.
4. Heat Bi Syndrome: The flesh is hot, the area of pain is red and swollen,
and the pain increases upon contact.
The type of Bi Syndrome the arthritis falls into will determine which
acupuncture points and other treatment options will be utilized. The
purpose of acupuncture is to trigger your body's innate ability to self
heal. Treatments take all of your symptoms into account and are aimed at
balancing the energy within the body, increasing the flow of qi and blood
to the affected area, bringing down swelling and inflammation, relieving
pain, and helping to prevent re-occurrence of the arthritis.
If you have arthritis and would like to learn more about how acupuncture
can help, call now for a consultation.
Studies on Acupuncture for Arthritis
Studies show that acupuncture can stimulate the
production of hormones that reduce pain and inflammation.
In a German study, 3,500 people with osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee
received 15 sessions of acupuncture combined with their usual medical care.
The results showed that the patients that had acupuncture had less pain and
stiffness, improved function and better quality of life than their
counterparts who had routine care alone. The improvements occurred
immediately after completing a three-month course of acupuncture and lasted
for at least another three months, indicating osteoarthritis is among
conditions treated with acupuncture.
Another study, published in the journal Pain, looked at the effects
of acupuncture among 40 adults with osteoarthritis of the knee. Among the
patients in the study, those who had a daily acupuncture session for 10
consecutive days reported greater improvement in their pain compared with
patients who received a "sham" version of the therapy.
Resources:
Pain Online, December 15, 2009.
Arthritis & Rheumatism, November 2006; vol 54: pp 3485-349
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In This Issue
·
Acupuncture
for Arthritis
·
Studies on
Acupuncture for Arthritis
·
Anti-inflammatory
Diet
Anti-inflammatory Diet
Your diet plays a crucial role in helping you avoid
or control arthritis.
The first objective of a healthy diet is to help you lose weight if you are
overweight. Being overweight can cause additional stress to your joints.
Another way a balanced, varied diet can help ease the pain of arthritis is
by providing vitamins and minerals that keep your joints healthy and
avoiding “damp” foods such as dairy products and greasy or spicy foods.
Here are some other healthy and delicious choices to include in your
diet.
• Ginger - Ginger has been found to be a natural anti-inflammatory.
make tea by combining one-half teaspoon of grated ginger root with eight
ounces of boiling water. Cover and steep for 10 to 15 minutes, then strain
and add honey to taste.
• Fresh pineapple - Bromelain, an enzyme in pineapple, reduces
inflammation. Be sure the pineapple is fresh, not canned or frozen.
• Cherries - Recent research has shown that tart cherries are an
excellent source of nutrients that may help to reduce joint pain and
inflammation related to arthritis.
• Fish - Cold-water fish such as salmon and mackerel contain omega-3
fatty acids, which help keep joints healthy as well as reduce pain and swelling.
If you don't care for fish, consider supplementing your diet with fish oil
capsules.
• Turmeric - Another natural anti-inflammatory. You can sprinkle
turmeric on scrambled eggs, add it to soups, or mix it into sauces or salad
dressings.
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