Acupuncture is a traditional treatment technique that originated in China and has gradually spread to the rest of the world. It involves stimulating specific acupoints on the human body using tiny needles to trigger the body’s natural healing abilities. It helps manage pain and treat other health issues, including inflammation and swelling. Acupuncture is recommended as a complementary therapy for arthritis due to its effectiveness in controlling pain and reducing inflammation. It has fewer side effects and has a long-lasting impact.
If you have arthritis, consider combining your treatment with acupuncture for improved and lasting results. It also helps manage some of the adverse side effects of arthritis medication, like headaches, nausea, and diarrhoea.
A General Overview of Acupuncture
Acupuncture involves the use of tiny needles by a trained acupuncturist on specific points on the body, known as the acupoints. The needles are carefully inserted into the skin to trigger the body’s natural healing abilities. The exact acupoint where the treatment occurs depends on the condition being treated. For arthritis, the acupuncturist will focus on specific acupoints to alleviate your pain and inflammation.
The technique is believed to unblock the flow of vital energy, or qi, through a body’s natural pathways, known as the meridians. When this is achieved, the body naturally restores its balance and can fight off the health issues you are experiencing.
Traditional Chinese Medicine, under which acupuncture falls, is believed to be absolutely safe because it does not involve the use of medication. Instead, it triggers the body’s natural healing abilities. According to its theory, diseases occur when there is a disruption in the flow of qi through various meridians. Acupuncturists are trained to stimulate this flow by strategically inserting needles into specific acupuncture points. The needles remove any blockages that could hinder the flow of qi, thereby restoring the body’s natural balance and promoting the free flow of energy throughout the entire body. That is why you experience a holistic healing with acupuncture.
Modern acupuncturists believe that the tiny needles stimulate the body’s nerves, connecting tissues and muscles. This stimulation triggers the release of hormones that promote healing and pain-relieving chemicals, such as endorphins. It also enhances the functioning of the nervous and immune systems, promoting overall well-being and holistic healing.
When you visit an acupuncturist for treatment, they start by determining the underlying condition for which you need treatment. If you have arthritis, you are expected to provide a brief history of the condition, including its treatment and the symptoms you are currently experiencing. The acupuncturist will conduct a physical examination, based on your symptoms and needs, to develop a treatment plan.
The treatment process entails inserting tiny, sterilized needles into various acupoints on your body. The acupuncturist leaves the needles in the body for 30 minutes to one hour in each treatment session. They may stimulate the needles manually or with small electrical currents to achieve a tugging or dull ache sensation.
This technique can help manage the symptoms of different types of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and gout. You can also treat juvenile arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. It works best as a complementary treatment for reducing pain, stiffness, and swelling.
How Acupuncture Can Help with Arthritis
Some of the most common symptoms of arthritis are pain, stiffness, and inflammation. Although modern medicine helps with some of these symptoms, it is not very effective. You need to be on medication for prolonged periods to experience relief. Additionally, modern medicine has severe side effects, including nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, fatigue, and headaches. Some patients have to deal with the symptoms, while others stop treatment midway when the side effects become severe. Combining acupuncture with arthritis treatment is recommended for faster, effective, and longer-lasting results. Here are some of the ways acupuncture can help with your condition:
Pain Relief
Pain is the main symptom of arthritis. You experience pain for various reasons, including when the immune system attacks your joints in autoimmune arthritis, and the wear and tear damage you experience with osteoarthritis. If you have gout, the buildup of crystals can also cause you a lot of pain. Additionally, the inflammation and damaged cartilage and joint lining that occur due to arthritis can cause significant pain. The swelling and stiffness also result in pain, especially when you stretch your limbs or body, or try to move.
Thus, the acupuncturist’s primary goal during treatment will be to manage your pain. They will use treatment techniques that stimulate your nervous system to release pain-relieving hormones, such as endorphins, into your body. This technique can work very well in the management of chronic pain for patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.
Reduced Inflammation
Inflammation in arthritis occurs when your immune system begins to attack your tissues, resulting in injury or infection. This is common in rheumatoid and autoimmune arthritis, where the immune system mistakenly sends inflammatory cells to the joints, causing pain and damaging the joint linings. Septic arthritis causes joint infections, which trigger inflammation.
An acupuncturist can modulate your immune system’s response to reduce inflammatory markers. They can stimulate specific acupoints on the body to release pain-relieving hormones, such as endorphins, and improve blood flow throughout the body. Acupuncture can also help regulate specific inflammatory pathways, reducing swelling, decreasing pain, and improving joint function.
Improved Joint Function
Certain types of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, can impact your joint function. This can occur due to cartilage breakdown, which results in bone-on-bone friction during movement. Autoimmune inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis can also damage your joints. Additionally, arthritis can lead to the deterioration of bone spurs, connective tissues, and joint stiffness, resulting in chronic pain, which all impact joint function.
An acupuncturist can help improve your joint function to aid with movement and reduce pain. They can use techniques that will decrease stiffness in and around the joints to make daily activities easier to perform. Other strategies that enhance your overall well-being can also improve your muscle function, leading to increased mobility.
Modulated Stress Response
Arthritis causes stress for several reasons, including the persistent physical discomfort and exhaustion that result from fatigue and chronic pain. The stress can also trigger the body’s inflammatory response, worsening our joint damage and pain. The pain and inflammation can also affect your sleep and mental health. If you are in chronic pain, you experience insomnia, which can increase your stress levels and fatigue. Stress can also arise from the lifestyle adjustments you must make when the condition worsens. For example, you are forced to live with a new reality of becoming less mobile and more dependent on family members.
An acupuncturist can use treatment techniques to modulate your stress response to improve your general well-being. For example, they can stimulate the production of cortisol, which is the hormone responsible for stress management.
Supported Immune System
A body’s immune system is critical to the general health of a person. When your immune system is functioning as it should, your health is usually good, as the body can fight diseases and illnesses as quickly as they are experienced. Acupuncture helps improve the functioning of the immune system by enhancing the production of white blood cells, improving blood circulation, reducing inflammation, and balancing the body’s energy. Consequently, it calms your nervous system, aids in the circulation of nutrients throughout the body, and reduces stress.
An improved immune system is highly effective in combating autoimmune diseases, such as arthritis.
Enhanced Healing
Generally, acupuncture enhances overall health. It promotes he body’s natural healing abilities by improving blood circulation. This supports faster recovery from various conditions and treatments, such as surgery. After completing acupuncture treatment, your body continues to heal itself naturally, without the need for medication. You can ebay improved health for years before receiving more acupuncture treatment.
Reasons to Choose Acupuncture for Arthritis
Acupuncture is highly recommended for a wide range of conditions because it is a natural and holistic approach that offers benefits for improved well-being. Combining it with arthritis treatment can improve your chances of achieving better results with medication. It is also administered by trained and experienced professionals, who know precisely where to insert the tiny needles to trigger your body’s natural healing capabilities. Here are some of the reasons you should consider incorporating acupuncture into your arthritis treatment regimen:
Acupuncture Addresses the Root Cause of Your Symptoms
In most cases, modern medicine addresses the symptoms without necessarily treating their root cause. That is why you mainly experience temporary relief with modern treatment, leaving you with a need for further treatment for longer-term relief. Acupuncture is distinct in that it addresses the root cause of your symptoms. This way, you experience lasting relief after completing your sessions. Instead of managing pain, stiffness, and the swelling associated with arthritis, an acupuncturist identifies and heals the underlying imbalances in your body that could be causing your problems. This is essential in preventing future problems.
Acupuncture Minimizes Treatment Side Effects
The adverse side effects of modern medication are the reason why many people, especially those with arthritis, opt out of treatment before they feel better. The side effects make you feel worse than before. Some of the side effects of arthritis medication that have been reported so far include nausea, vomiting, headaches, diarrhoea, mouth sores, and hair loss.
Combining acupuncture with arthritis treatment helps you manage some of these side effects. Additionally, you experience faster relief from treatment with acupuncture, eliminating the need to depend on modern medication.
Acupuncture is a natural treatment with minimal side effects. If it is performed by a skilled acupuncturist and the practitioner uses sterilized needles, the treatment is absolutely safe. The only thing you will have to worry about is the marks left on your skin at the treatment site, which heal completely over time.
Acupuncture Complements Other Treatments
Modern medicine plays a crucial role in maintaining your health and overall well-being. However, it works best when your immune system is functioning optimally. Natural treatments, such as acupuncture, aim to create a balance in the body that enhances your immune system, allowing your treatment to work effectively and deliver the desired results. Complementing arthritis treatment with acupuncture is recommended to give you relief from your treatment without necessarily overrelying on medicine.
Remember that acupuncture is a natural treatment. In this case, it works very well in combination with other therapies, without any negative interactions. The truth is that acupuncture enhances the effectiveness of other treatments in managing your symptoms.
Acupuncturists Give Individualized Care
The symptoms you experience with arthritis may differ from those of another patient. However, a doctor will give you the same medication for the same arthritic condition, even if your experiences are different. Acupuncturists offer individualized treatments tailored to your specific symptoms and needs. They listen first to understand your symptoms, how long you have experienced those symptoms, and the kinds of results you want. Then, they tailor a treatment plan suitable for your unique needs. A patient-centered treatment approach yields better results with every treatment session.
Acupuncture Improves Your General Health
Unlike modern medicine, acupuncture focuses on your overall health, rather than just your current symptoms. The treatment you receive is not just for arthritis and its symptoms, but also to improve your overall health. It improves blood circulation throughout the body, which is essential for ensuring that nutrient-rich blood reaches all parts of the body for enhanced well-being. Consequently, your physical, mental, and emotional health improve after every treatment session.
Find a competent Acupuncturist Near Me
If you or your loved one is struggling with severe symptoms of arthritis in Los Angeles, combining your treatment with acupuncture is highly recommended. Acupuncture triggers the body’s natural healing capacities and promotes the effectiveness of modern medication. It also offers holistic benefits for improved health and well-being. However, you must find a skilled and experienced acupuncturist who will administer treatment safely and effectively for these and other benefits.
At Art of Chinese Healing, we have skilled acupuncturists who offer complementary treatment to arthritis patients. They will review your treatment history and assess your current symptoms to develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs and goals. Call us at 310-405-1610 to learn more about acupuncture treatment for arthritis.