Acupuncture treatment for children with arthritis. Acupuncture in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Since rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease, it can last for years, and patients suffering from this disease may experience it for a longer period of time without any symptoms. Standard rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive disease that can lead to joint destruction and disability. Symptoms experienced are joint pain, swelling, stiffness and general discomfort. In this article we will look at acupuncture for rheumatoid arthritis.

Traditional prescription medications are not always effective in treating RA. An alternative treatment for this autoimmune disease may be natural treatments such as traditional Chinese medicine or acupuncture (acupuncture).

Acupuncture for rheumatoid arthritis

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine and treatment method that began over 3,000 years ago. In the Chinese, it is used to effectively treat symptoms of arthritis and certain health problems. This is a procedure in which specific areas of the body and points are punctured with a fine needle for therapeutic purposes to relieve joint pain, produce regional anesthesia, or relax the body.

It is an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis as the natural medicine does not have any side effects, unlike most of the prescribed medications for patients suffering from this chronic joint disease.

Acupuncture works by inserting thin needles into multiple points on the body, or “meridians,” clearing any energy blockages. This allows you to quickly relieve illness and discomfort. Acupuncturists may focus on the heart, kidneys, back of the head, and internal secretion points.

Traditional acupuncturists typically view the person as a whole rather than focusing on the symptoms of the disease. They look at the patient's lifestyle as well as the environmental factors that triggered the problem.

Most importantly, acupuncture for rheumatoid arthritis is a form of preventative medicine, so people can undergo this procedure without any specific diseases or ailments. People try Chinese medicine to help them prevent rheumatoid arthritis and any other diseases, while at the same time they use it to keep their mind and body relaxed and stress-free.

What happens during acupuncture

The person who treats you is called an acupuncturist. He will rub rubbing alcohol on each area before tapping a very thin needle on the sore area. The number of needles you will receive, where they will be placed, and how deep they will be inserted will depend on your specific case.

The needles will remain in place for a few minutes to an hour. The acupuncturist can adjust, heat, or electrically charge them to enhance the effect. You may feel some tingling if electricity is used. It should be soft.

You may need several sessions.

Does acupuncture hurt?

No. You may feel a slight prick when the needle is inserted, but it is much less than the prick you feel during an injection because the needles are much thinner. After the needles are inserted, you may feel heaviness, numbness, tingling, or mild soreness.

It is safe?

Yes. When acupuncture is done using disposable needles in a clean, sterile environment and by a trained professional, complications are very unlikely.

Acupuncture for rheumatoid arthritis - what are the benefits?

This is a non-medicinal way to relieve pain from rheumatoid arthritis. You can't get used to it. And the acupuncturist can immediately see how you respond and make changes as needed.

Benefits are difficult to prove because high-quality research on arthritis and acupuncture has been limited. Here are some of the recent studies that have been done:

Arthrosis. A 2014 study in JAMA found that people who received acupuncture had slightly less pain compared to those who had no treatment. The authors concluded that the results were not significant enough to support the recommendation of acupuncture. However, for sick patients, even limited benefit may be sufficient to justify treatment attempts.

Rheumatoid arthritis. Research on acupuncture for RA has generally been of low quality. They were unable to prove that the treatment provided any significant improvement in sore joints, lesions or other measures of the disease. However, acupuncture may help certain people with their pain.

Fibromyalgia. In a 2014 review article in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, researchers analyzed the results of nine studies on acupuncture for fibromyalgia. Although several studies have found that acupuncture works better than medications to manage the condition, most studies have been poorly designed. The authors concluded that there is insufficient evidence that acupuncture works better than placebo. They say more research is needed.

Does the medical establishment approve of this?

Yes. There are approximately 28,000 licensed acupuncturists in the United States. The World Health Organization recognizes about 30 medical problems, ranging from allergies to pain, that can be treated by acupuncture. The FDA also considers acupuncture needles to be medical devices.

How often should I get acupuncture?

It depends on your condition and how well it helps you. Because it may take several sessions before you feel results, plan to go for at least 5-10 sessions.

Are there any restrictions after treatment?

You will likely feel very relaxed because acupuncture can be very calming. Therefore, you may need someone to take you home. If you feel well after the session, it is not recommended for you to exhaust yourself in any way. You should continue to take any medications prescribed by your doctor.

Acupuncture is an ancient technique of oriental medicine that has been and is still used effectively to treat various pathologies. What is the therapeutic effect of this method and does acupuncture help with arthritis?

Acupuncture helps against pain

Research in the field of medicine proves that the impact of needles on reflex points of the body causes a number of changes in the functioning of the body and in particular the nervous system:

Analgesic effect. The needles excite certain types of sensory nerve fibers: nerve impulses enter the brain faster than pain impulses and activate inhibitory interneurons, which reduce the ability of some parts of the brain to perceive pain from affected organs.
General improvement in the functions of the central nervous system. Excitation of nerve endings associated with the endorphinergic system stimulates the pituitary gland to release endorphins. This helps improve the functioning of the central nervous system and other body systems.
Improving blood supply and innervation. The needles activate areas of the brain responsible for the functioning of a particular organ, increasing blood circulation and nerve conduction, which accelerates regeneration processes.

Many people associate the effectiveness of acupuncture with the “placebo” effect, believing that the effect of this technique is based on self-hypnosis.

Belief in the success of the treatment and trust in the specialist performing the procedure are important, but recorded cases of acupuncture curing small children and animals, as well as studies of patients who have undergone acupuncture using MRI and Doppler ultrasonography indicate the presence of a therapeutic effect.

Indications for acupuncture

Acupuncture is also used to eliminate excess weight and bad habits.

One of the advantages of acupuncture is its wide range of applications. This technique is used as a complementary treatment against many diseases:

Pathologies of the nervous system: neurosis, neuralgia, neuritis, vegetative-vascular dystonia, dizziness, migraines, hysteria, nervous tics, vertebral hernias, radiculitis, enuresis.
Respiratory pathologies: chronic pneumonia, bronchitis, tracheitis, bronchial asthma, chronic laryngitis.
Pathologies of the cardiovascular system: hypertension 1-2 degrees, arterial hypotension, arrhythmias, heart blockades.
Pathologies of the musculoskeletal system: scoliosis, sprains, arthrosis, arthritis, myositis, bursitis, osteochondrosis, fractures, periarthritis, heel spurs.
Pathologies of the digestive system: nausea, cholestasis, constipation, ulcers, gastralgia, functional gastrointestinal disorders, gastroduodenitis.
Pathologies of the reproductive system: menstrual cycle disorders, hormonal infertility, menopausal syndrome, ovarian dysfunction.
Pathologies of the genitourinary system: chronic cystitis, nephritis, prostatitis.
Eye pathologies: blurred vision, strabismus, oculomotor disorders.
Allergic reactions: itching, eczema, neurodermatitis, urticaria.
Hormonal pathologies: thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, type 2 diabetes mellitus, early stage thyrotoxicosis, hypothalamic syndrome.

Acupuncture is also used to eliminate excess weight and bad habits: drug addiction, alcoholism, smoking. It is important to remember that this technique cannot be used as an independent method of treating diseases. Acupuncture is always used as one of the components of complex therapy and only under the supervision of the attending physician.

Acupuncture helps relieve pain and improves blood circulation

Acupuncture for arthritis has a number of beneficial effects that help relieve symptoms of the disease and speed up the treatment process:

relieves pain;
normalizes blood circulation;
improves metabolic processes;
relieves spasm;
relieves pain;
promotes body relaxation;
calms the nervous system;
reduces inflammation;
relieves swelling.

Unlike some types of medications used to relieve pain, acupuncture does not cause addiction. It can also be combined with other treatment methods.

With the correct technique, the procedure has no disadvantages, but it has contraindications and cannot always be used to treat arthritis. In addition, it may be difficult to find a good specialist who has experience in acupuncture and does it well. Improper procedure and use of unsterile instruments can cause serious harm to the patient's health.

How is acupuncture performed?

Painful sensations during an acupuncture session are not excessive

During the first session, the specialist analyzes the patient’s health status to determine the effectiveness of the procedure and determines the position of acupuncture points. Next, the patient’s skin is disinfected, and disposable needles are screwed into it manually or using a special device at a certain angle. The discomfort is minimal, although with each acupuncture session the pain may increase slightly: this is due to increased nerve conduction of the tissue - the skin becomes more sensitive to injections.

Typically, patients experience pulsation, pressure, itching, slight tingling, heaviness, or numbness when inserting needles.

Having inserted the required number of needles (usually no more than 8-10), the master acts on them manually or using weak discharges of electricity for 20-40 minutes. At the end of the procedure, the needles are painlessly removed: some of them even come out of the tissue on their own.

Acupuncture points

There are 12-14 pairs of meridians, energy channels and 361 acupuncture points on the human body, the impact of which opens the internal energy reserves of the body, directing them to fight diseases. All of them are located close to the nerve endings. Which points the specialist will use depends on the location of the inflammatory foci and the severity of the disease. In addition, during each new session, the position of the needles and manipulation methods may change.

When treating arthritis of various etiologies with acupuncture, points are usually used that are located on the back along the spine, on the legs in the area of the legs, knees and hips, on the arms in the area of the forearms, shoulders and elbow joints.

Contraindications

Pregnancy is a relative contraindication

Contraindications to the use of acupuncture are divided into absolute, relative and local:

Absolute contraindications: age under 1 year, blood diseases, mental disorders, malignant tumors, infectious diseases, acute surgical diseases, complicated pregnancy, fever, were of unknown origin.
Relative contraindications: age over 70 years, pregnancy, poliomyelitis, cerebral circulatory disorders, multiple sclerosis, physical or emotional exhaustion, muscular dystrophy, poliomyelitis.
Local contraindications: varicose veins, scars, moles, skin diseases.

The consequence of improper acupuncture can even be fainting.

Ignoring contraindications or violating acupuncture technique can lead to negative consequences:

bruising;
soreness;
damage to blood vessels, nerves, tendons, internal organs;
degeneration of benign formations into cancerous ones when they are damaged;
decreased blood pressure;
noise in ears;
fainting;
infection with hepatitis, AIDS.

To avoid complications, you must undergo an examination and consult with your doctor about the possibility of using acupuncture. You should also take the choice of a specialist seriously, since most of the side effects occur when the procedure is performed incorrectly.

Acupuncture or acupuncture for arthritis stimulates energy flow into the damaged areas and helps speed healing. The method is applicable only in specialized centers after the approval of a doctor. Acupuncture is effective in combination with other techniques. Acupuncture has a number of advantages, is not addictive and does not require an increase in medication dosage, and in general has a positive effect on the entire body. There are contraindications for the procedure that should be taken into account before it is performed.

When is it prescribed?

Indications for acupuncture:

arthritis;
rheumatism;
osteochondrosis;
prostate;
pain syndrome;
the presence of inflammation of the joints;
swelling;
osteoarthritis;
injuries;
spastic colitis;
obesity;
radiculitis;
chondrosis;
to improve immunity;
relieving muscle spasms.

The procedure activates all the body's defenses.

Acupuncture can affect any disease. Treatment of arthritis is a complex process, as a result of which it is not always possible to overcome the disease. Knowing the technique and the correct points for acupuncture, you can stimulate the body's internal reserves to fight arthritis. This is an alternative therapy technique, the results of which are questioned by official medicine.

Pros and cons of acupuncture for treating arthritis

Acupuncture for rheumatoid arthritis:

reduces pain;
reduces swelling and inflammation;
accelerates the process of treating arthritis;
does not cause dependence on medications;
can be combined with other methods of therapy;
relaxes the body and relieves spasms;
accelerates blood circulation and metabolism;
helps in weight loss;
calms the nervous system.

Acupuncture alone will not cure arthritis. The technique must be combined with taking medications.

Failure to follow the acupuncture technique can cause irreparable harm to human health.

The disadvantages of acupuncture include the fact that the technique has no scientific explanation and is based on human energy flows. If acupuncture is performed incorrectly, it can make the patient disabled. In addition, finding a good specialist is difficult. Instruments for the procedure must be sterile. Acupuncture has a number of contraindications, so it is not applicable in all cases of arthritis treatment.

Safety

Acupuncture is a completely harmless and safe procedure for the treatment of arthritis. According to the rules, it is carried out with disposable needles, which are printed in front of the client. The specialist must also ensure that the salon is clean and hands are sterile. In many cases, a client insurance agreement is concluded before the procedure. After the procedure, the patient experiences relief, improvement, and the risk of side effects is minimized.

Acupuncture points

A person has 361 points and 12-14 pairs of energy channels (meridians). Their stimulation opens the channel and directs the body’s internal forces to fight the problem. All of them are located close to the nerve endings, so after the procedure you may feel the effect of swelling of the body, which will soon disappear. During the procedure, endorphins are released, which block pain. Each acupuncture session is different from the previous one: one time it is carried out with a different combination of points, the next time the method of inserting the needle changes, and the number of needles used may differ.

Chinese medicine has been developing for a very long time. The technique of the East allows you to fight a wide variety of pathologies. Acupuncture for arthritis involves the insertion of needles that are very thin and do not have sharp ends, stimulating certain points. It is at this moment that vital energy is released, which gives the body an impetus to fight illnesses.

Traditional acupuncturists who use acupuncture treatments believe that during sessions, energy is able to flow unimpeded along pathways called meridians. These pathways run throughout the body. During activation of the body, pain decreases and gradual restoration of health occurs.

What happens during an acupuncture session?

Arthritis affects one fifth of the world's population. A large number of people have diagnoses such as:

osteoarthritis;
rheumatoid arthritis;
gout and others.

In a regular hospital, such diseases are difficult to treat, especially arthritis - its treatment is considered expensive and difficult. But the patient's condition can be slightly improved by using a natural way to alleviate symptoms through acupuncture.

When a session occurs, the acupuncturist is involved in inserting needles for a specific time. The needles are inserted into the right points, and specialists know about them. After this, the needles are exposed to electric current or high temperature. Many scientific studies have shown that acupuncture for arthritis can stimulate the secretion of natural painkillers like morphine. They are produced by the body - these are endorphins. This method of treatment is useful for patients who do not tolerate the side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Causes of arthritis

Acupuncture has long been proven to be safer and more effective than methods used in natural therapy. Arthritis, the treatment of which is quite complex, is often classified as a chronic disease; it is during the fight against such pathology that regular treatment with the help of Eastern knowledge will help. Since this method is easy to control pain and dilate vascular tissue.

Arthritis is considered as Bi-syndrome. This diagnosis can occur when exposed to external negative factors, such as dampness, frost, wind, heat.

Acupuncture treatment for osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis. It is caused by the degradation of cartilage tissue in the joints. This occurs when cartilage tissue deforms under load, or it comes with age. In this case, constant pain appears in the affected areas.

Acupuncture for arthritis and its basis

The basis of acupuncture is two reasons, which are considered opposite. They cause different reactions of the body to the corresponding irritation - this is excitation or inhibition.

Inhibition is a reaction that is caused by the method of stimulation. Experts use acupuncture treatment for a long time. The intensity is increased gradually. Patients feel heaviness, numbness and the passage of electricity. This method works well with increased sensitivity of the body.

The second option also effectively helps cure arthritis (treatment is used for any age restrictions). The sensations when inserting needles are minimal, unlike the first option. The needle is inserted with a rotational motion. For adults, the inserted needle is left in place for about twelve minutes. For children – within five minutes.

Along with acupuncture, appropriate medicines prepared by Chinese medicine specialists are used. Taken together, this gives an undeniable result.

One of the alternative eastern methods is acupuncture for arthritis to relieve negative symptoms and eliminate the cause of the pathology. Before prescribing a treatment procedure, you must consult with your doctor to exclude contraindications. The session should only be carried out by a qualified specialist.

Eastern acupuncture technique for arthritis

In pathological diseases, the movement of the vital force Qi is disrupted. To restore circulation, it is necessary to stimulate biologically active points (BAP) of the body, which act as projections of internal organ systems.

The treatment technique is based on the introduction of special needles into the BAP to normalize the general condition of the body and treat pathologies. Nerve endings are localized at acupuncture points, and therefore the correct influence can have the following effects in pathologies of the musculoskeletal system:

pain relief;
weakening of the inflammatory process;
removal of puffiness;
acceleration of blood flow;
normalization of metabolic processes.

Types of reflexology

There are the following methods of needle insertion:

Auricular reflexology involves placing needles on points in the ear.

Classic reflexology. Normally sized needles are inserted into biologically active points.
Surface therapy. The needles have blunt tips that are applied to the affected areas.
Microtherapy. Small needles are used, like buttons. Long-term wearing is indicated.
Auricular reflexology. The impact is on acupuncture points on the ear.

Indications for acupuncture

It is necessary to use the Eastern method for the following disorders of the musculoskeletal system:

arthritis and arthrosis;
gout;
osteochondrosis;
mechanical damage;
deformities of the vertebrae and joints.

Benefits of acupuncture for treating arthritis

This therapy is an alternative to medication.

Patients who have undergone a course of reflexology note the following benefits of treatment:

low risk of side effects;
no need to make an effort;
duration of anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects;
a complete replacement for medications.

How is reflexology performed?

When treating arthritis, acupuncture is carried out according to the following scheme for 4-5 weeks:

Analysis of the general condition of the patient. Imbalance of energy and damage to energy channels are revealed.
Determination of optimal biologically active areas associated with foci of the inflammatory process.
Inserting needles into acupuncture areas to achieve two opposite reactions: stimulation or inhibition of certain processes.

Activation of the body

It is advisable to stimulate no more than 10 active points in one session.

The optimal number of points that are stimulated at one time is 5-10. Short, rapid, high-intensity movements are indicated when inserting needles. Duration of exposure from 30 seconds. up to 2 min. Penetration depth is from 3 to 5 cm. Permissible rotational movements of the needle tip. This procedure is the most painful. Severe pain in the area of penetration indicates that the technique was performed correctly.

If the patient's pain threshold is low, the intensity of the injection and the duration of the procedure should increase gradually.

Inhibition of pathological processes

To achieve an analgesic and relaxing effect, another technique is indicated. The needles are inserted using rotational movements. The optimal quantity is 2-3 pcs. Penetration depth - 1.5-8 cm. Exposure time - 30-40 minutes. For children and elderly people, the duration of the session is reduced to 5 minutes. The intensity of the procedure is increased gradually, based on the individual response of the patient.

Acupuncture points

The most effective stimulation with needles is the following areas presented in the table:

Location	Indications
Between index finger and thumb	Arthritis of the upper extremities
Thumb tubercle	Pain in hands
3 cm below the elbow	Inflammation of the hand and elbow
Below the previous point	Shoulder pain
Between shoulder and armpit	Upper spine injuries
Between the neck and the base of the shoulder	Neck pain and spasm
Upper neck, side of the spinal column	Reduced functionality of the upper region
At waist level	Lumbar hernia
4 fingers down and to the side of the kneecap	Knee pain