Arthritis is a debilitating condition that causes excruciating agony with every move. The pain makes it difficult to perform even the simplest tasks and puts its sufferers at risk of permanent disability. With the rising cost of prescribed medication, many have resorted to alternative methods to deal with the pain of their affliction, In particular, many to acupuncture for arthritis.
Acupuncture therapy works by correcting the flow of qi energy in the body in order to relieve pain. It controls pain by releasing and increasing the amount of endogenous opioid endorphins, which are the natural painkillers of the body. With this in mind, people have turned to acupuncture for joint pain, back pain, headaches, and other ailments.
But how effectively does acupuncture help arthritis? To be sure, it is not a permanent cure for the condition. Acupuncture treatment is not meant to replace traditional medicine. What acupuncture does is provide long or short term arthritis pain relief. It is recommended in combination with conventional chronic pain treatments, and until the proper medical procedure can be administered.
It is staggering to note that there are over 100 various forms of arthritis. These include degenerative arthritis, such as osteoarthritis that occurs when the protective cartilage of the bone joints breaks down or degenerates. It causes pain when the bones rub against each other. Inflammatory arthritis is when an overactive immune system, which normally fights against infection, attacks otherwise healthy tissue by mistake, causing pain and inflammation, particularly in the joints. Rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis are examples of this type.
Osteoarthritis is the most common kind of arthritis that a majority of people suffers from. The cause is most frequently linked to chronic knee pain. For those seeking acupuncture for knee arthritis, there is not one, but two different methods they could consider. The first, of course, is the traditional method involving the insertion of needles, which remains effective for many patients.
There is, however, a number of patients who are particularly receptive to the second option, an updated model of electro-acupuncture known as PENS (Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation). It involves passing a mild electric current through the needles.
PENS is not necessarily a substitute for traditional acupuncture. In fact, this technique is not recommended for patients prone to seizures and irregular heartbeat. Nonetheless, this form of acupuncture for knee pain has been noted to reduce pain from anywhere between 24 hours and 4 months after treatment. This has also been used as an effective method of acupuncture for rheumatoid arthritis, affecting the inflammatory markers that cause joint destruction.
Can acupuncture help arthritis? With a track record of relieving pain for 2,000 years-plus, the efficacy of acupuncture for arthritis should only increase as it keeps up with the times. Yin’s Acupuncture & Herbs Clinic in Frisco TX combines the knowledge of the past with the science of today to provide the best in alternative health care. Call (972) 668-2626 to book an appointment now.
Image taken from ScientificAnimations.Com CC BY-SA 4.0
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