Acupuncture, an effective way of treating osteoarthritis

A quite common health condition especially for middle aged individuals and seniors, osteoarthritis is a condition in which the joints progressively degenerate. As one can surmise, osteoarthritis can be quite a painful disease. Here is how it develops:

The cartilage is a layer of membrane found between all the joints in our body. The cartilage helps make body movement easy as it serves like a lubricating membrane between two adjacent bones when we are young. When there is movement, this cartilage helps to prevent the two bones from rubbing against each other.

But as the body ages, the cartilage starts to gradually break down. When it becomes eroded or degenerates, the cartilage can no longer function as an effective protective layer for the bones. Therefore, whenever there is movement, pain will always be felt. In several instances cases, swelling (due to inflammation) follows the soreness.

Osteoarthritis can develop from a number of causes. It can be the result of overuse, injury, old age, or heredity. That is the reason why some people in their 20s or 30s have developed this condition.

A person suffering from osteoarthritis needs to go for treatment as soon as possible. There are a couple of reasons for this. One reason is to prevent further damage to the cartilage. The other reason is to relieve the swelling, soreness, and pain that come with osteoarthritis.

There is a need to treat the inflammation if the inflammation develops around the diseased joints. A lot of medical doctors often prescribe steroidal anti-inflammation medications. But since these drugs have undesirable side effects, more and more doctors are searching for other ways to treat the condition without the use of these steroids. Studies have shown that these drugs can actually induce osteoarthritis, which make worsens the condition even more.

Acupuncture is one safe and effective way of treating osteoarthritis. It can be used alongside NSAIMS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines). A recent study has showed that acupuncture treatment helped relieve the pain in 70% of osteoarthritis patients who participated in the study.

Acupuncture is actually a form of Chinese healing procedure that has been practiced for thousands of years. Nowadays, more and more Western physicians are studying this Eastern form of treatment in order to integrate it into their medical practice. Acupuncture involves the sticking of filiform needles to stimulate the acupoints in the body. According to Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the body has more than 2000 acupoints. The body is able to heal itself when chi (vital energy) is internally balanced. Hence, the primary aim acupuncture treatment is to stimulate the acupoints in order to clear out the blockages and make chi flow freely and easily in the body. Western medicine believes these acupoints are part of the central nervous system. Hormones, neurotransmitters, and other special chemicals are released in the bloodstream when one or more acupoint is stimulated. This then helps the body to heal itself.

There is less dependence on steroid based drugs when acupuncture is used to treat osteoarthritis. Acupuncture helps relieve quickly and efficiently and enables the diseased joints to naturally and gradually heal.