Total Wellness Center

I have arthritis, My knees hips and lower back are always sore. They are so bad that in the morning it takes me an hour to get going. Can Acupuncture help my condition?

Arthritis is a condition where chronic swelling and inflammation cause damage to various joints in the body. It is currently the leading cause of disability in persons above the age of 65. Of the many forms of arthritic conditions, including rheumatoid, autoimmune, psoriatic, septic and gouty, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form, affecting over 21 million Americans. Unlike Rheumatoid arthritis, where there is an actual active inflammatory process occurring at the joints, OA is a degenerative disease where the soft cartilage of the joints are slowly degraded. The causes of OA are not well understood, though several risk factors and underlying conditions are thought to be involved, including increasing age, genetic predisposition, obesity, metabolic and hormonal disorders, repetitive use injuries and even gout. The onset of OA is gradual and symptoms mainly appear after the age of 50. The most common symptoms include deep, aching joint pain (more often affecting the back, knees, hips, spine and fingers), which get worse with movement, stiffness upon waking and with inactivity, joint swelling and warmth, inflexibility and limited range of motion in the joints accompanied with crunching or crackling noises with movement. In severe cases, there may be formation of abnormal bony growths such as the characteristic bumps appearing on the outermost finger joints. One of the best preventive measures for OA is exercise and weight loss. Research has shown that with regular moderate exercise, symptoms of pain and inflexibility can be reduced by at least 25 percent.

There are a variety of disease factors that can cause arthritis according to Chinese medicine theory. These include colds invading the joints, pathogenic wind disturbing the joints, dampness congealing in the joints and heat scorching the joints. Often these conditions can be seen together as in the case of dampness and heat or dampness and cold. Chinese medicine differentiates arthritis into these forms primarily identifying with the symptoms. In each case the predominant symptom being pain. My treatments focus on proper differentiation of the type and treatment with acupuncture, herbal and dietary remedies and Qi Gong or Tai Chi movement exercises. Here are my recommendations according to type.

Cold arthritis symptoms include sharp stabbing pain in fixed locations and coldness in the joints. The pain is relieved by heat. Usually these individuals have pale complexion.

Wind arthritis symptoms manifest with pain that shifts locations, comes and goes suddenly and sometimes causes dizziness (behaving much like the wind)

Damp arthritis symptoms include dull deep aching pain that lingers, sluggishness, heavy sensations in the extremities, swelling and obesity.

Heat arthritis symptoms are characterized by red swollen painful joints with feeling of heat and warmth to the touch, general disability and often occur suddenly.