Arthritis is a disorder involving the inflammation of one or more joints. The major symptoms of arthritis are:
- Â joint pain
- Â difficulty moving joints
- Â stiffness
- Â muscle pains and
- Â aches
Arthritis is a common cause of disability and affects millions of adults and even children. This joint disorder can severely limit physical activities especially on a day-to-day basis.
There are many types of arthritis and two of its most common types are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease wherein the body’s immune system would attack the normal joint tissues and therefore causing inflammation of the synovium or lining of the joints. Joint inflammation results to pain, swelling, redness and stiffness. While rheumatoid arthritis usually affects the wrists, hands and feet first, this disease may eventually affect different joints in the body. In severe cases, RA may cause the affected joint to swell which results to loss of function or inability to move normally.
How does acupuncture treat arthritis?
The theory behind acupuncture is that life energy flows in the body through pathways, and when the flow is blocked, it causes pain and health problems like arthritis. Through acupuncture, pain caused by arthritis is relieved when needles are inserted to strategic points in the body wherein the blocked pathways of energy become restored to its harmonious state. Furthermore, acupuncture helps the body produce the chemicals known as endorphins or “happy hormones†which help increase the body’s pain threshold whilst lifts up one’s mood and make him feel happy.*
Additionally, acupuncture deactivates trigger points usually found around joints suffering arthritis. Trigger points causes long-lasting pain as these are extremely irritable and tender spots found in the fascia surrounding the skeletal muscles.*
Acupuncture and Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain Relief
In recent years, studies conducted regarding the efficacy of acupuncture as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is increasing. Evidence has shown that acupuncture reduces pain transmission and pain response by releasing endorphins, encephalins and other neuropeptides. Through acupuncture’s needle insertion technique, electrical and tingling sensations are felt thus providing stimulation which helps control pain and inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis.*