ACUPUNCTURE AND JOINT PAIN
Joint Health & Traditional Chinese Medicine
Arthritis is one of the most common joint ailments, affecting over 54 million adults in the United States. Characterized by swelling of the joints, it can range from bothersome to extremely painful and hinder everyday activities. Arthritis, along with other types of joint health issues, can be one of the most life-altering conditions to live with—because it can limit everything from one’s ability to get regular exercise to how much someone can go to work.
Thankfully, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) applications and acupuncture can alleviate arthritis and work as an integral aspect of joint health maintenance protocol treatments and joint health maintenance protocol.
Within the theory of TCM and acupuncture, our vital life energy or qi (pronounced “chee”) flows along the meridians of the body. When the flow is constricted or imbalanced, we may experience illness or pain. The needles used in acupuncture are carefully placed along points connected to the meridians, stimulating those places to correct and encourage energy flow.
Various studies, including one by the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, found that patients felt significantly less pain and had an easier time walking after receiving legitimate acupuncture treatments.
Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis
There are many different types of arthritis, some with very few treatment options dictated by Western Medicine.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one variety that can be hugely disruptive to sufferers’ lives. RA is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease linked with progressive joint damage, resulting in severe chronic pain and long-term mobility issues.
Western medicine comes up short when trying to treat RA. Yet many clinical trials have shown that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has advantages in treating RA.
Osteoarthritis & Preventing Knee Replacement
Another common and very detrimental type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, particularly in knee joints, primarily affecting older adults. When knee osteoarthritis gets severe enough, total knee replacement is the final treatment option.
A wide-ranging study of over 34,000 patients in Taiwan showed that TCM treatments reduced the risk of total knee replacement in patients with knee osteoarthritis. That enhanced benefit results from long-term treatment. The longer a patient used TCM, the less likely they were to need a knee replacement.
In addition to Acupuncture, Marc uses a specific Essential oil formula designed to provide comfort for those with joint discomfort.
Marc Gian offers acupuncture services in the Flatiron District, NYC, and a range of other treatments known collectively as The Cure. To schedule a treatment with Flatiron District acupuncturist Marc Gian, call 845-519-9256 or email marcgian@gmail.coim
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7302630/
https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/complementary-therapies/natural-therapies/acupuncture-for-arthritis