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. |
