Overview
Rheumatic arthritis is a repeated attacking acute or chronic systemic allergic connective tissue disease, which mainly attacks the joints, especially the big ones. The chief clinical symptoms are red-swelling and febrile pain of the systemic or partial joints, and motor disturbance. It is included in "arthralgia-syndrome" in TCM. It is mainly caused by the pathogenic factors retain on the meridians, the muscles and joints are blocked by qi and blood which due to the defensive qi fails to consolidate the skin, and the body fails to expel the invading wind, cold, dampness or heat pathogens in time. For treatment, expelling pathogenic wind and cold by warming the meridian, or clearing away the pathogenic heat and dredging the meridian, expelling the pathogenic dampness and alleviating pain are mainly used.

Treatment
1. Weizhong (BL40)
After routine sterilization, the mixture of Vitamin B1100 mg and Vitamin B12 0.25 mg is injected into the bilateral BL40 points. The needling sensation of souring and distending is required. The treatment is applied once every day, 10 times for one course.

2. Xiyan (EX-LE5)
They are extra points which are a pair of points in the two depressions, medial and lateral to the patellar ligament, locating the point with the knee flexed. Ask the patient to sit in flexion or to lie in a supine position with the bending knees. After routine sterilization, a 1.5 cun filiform needle is used to puncture obliquely 0.5-1.0 cun to the centre of the knee joints. The needle is retained for 20-30 minutes. Manipulation is done once every 5 minutes. The treatment is applied once every day, l0 times for one course.

3. Quchi (LI11)
After routine sterilization, a 1.5 cun filiform needle is punctured into the point until getting arrival of qi. The reducing method by lifting and thrusting the needle is applied. The needle is retained for 30 min. and manipulation is done once every 5 minutes. The electrotherapy is also applicable for 10-20 minutes, continuous wave is selected at the first 5 minutes, and then turn to disconnected-continuous wave. The treatment is applied once every day or every other day, ten times for one course, 3-5 days interval between two courses.

4. Dazhui (DU14)
Point application therapy is applicable. 3 portions of mylabris and 5 portions of realgar are grinded into powder which 0.3-0.6 g is put in the center of a simple plaster. Apply the plaster on DU14 for 24 h until the local area blister. A filiform needle is used to penetrate until the secretion is totally extruded. Clear the local area. The original plaster is replaced by Qinbingsan which is made of borneol, indigo, fritillariae. trichosanthis, paeoniae. Yueshi and calcining gypsum. After 24 hours, replace Qinbingsan with Yangchungao made of heart of cassia, clove, olibanum, achyranthes, Xuejie and moschus which should be taken off in 72 hours. 2-4 points are applied each time. Do not exceed 8 points at most. If one course does not work, the same process could be done once again, 2-3 times might be needed.

Note
Acupuncture therapy is very effective for rheumatic arthritis. For those having severe pain on the joints, the electrotherapy which has significant effect for alleviating pain is applicable; for those having red-swelling and febrile pain on local area, bloodletting puncturing and cupping therapy could be chosen; for those having intractable and repeated attacking conditions, point injection or application therapy could be used.