Acupuncture for Joint Pain

Acupuncture is a subject and potential form of treatment for Joint Pain sufferers that many will not investigate for several reasons; fear of needles, a belief that Acupuncture is quackery or getting an opinion (usually un-asked) from some “expert” who told them not to waste their time and money.

My belief is that you have to know the details of anything before you accept it or discount it. So what is Acupuncture? What potential does Acupuncture have to alleviate Joint Pain?

To understand Acupuncture you must understand the concept of the body’s essential life energy, called “chi” or “ki” flowing through your body in invisible routes called “meridians”. There are several thousand Acupuncture points connected to these meridians. Accessing and stimulating these Acupuncture points with needles corrects the flow of energy and alleviates pain and problems.

One of the possible ways Acupuncture alleviates pain is by reducing muscle tension thereby reducing tension or pull on joints. Another reason why Acupuncture may help is through the release of endorphins which naturally fight pain or our perception of pain.

Some believe that a method from which Acupuncture is effective is getting the body to react to the micro trauma that Acupuncture needles cause and therefore sending resources to that part of the body to “fix” it.

Another version of Acupuncture is Electro-Acupuncture where pulsing electrical current is delivered through the needle stimulating the intended afflicted area.

Without a doubt there are studies that suggest Acupuncture can and has alleviated joint pain caused by arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. This fits well with MyAchingKnees.com beliefs that all non-invasive methods to alleviate joint pain should be considered before prescription medications and/or surgery as these more invasive joint pain solutions have more potential for serious side effects.

Acupuncture may involve multiple needles being inserted into Acupuncture points on a meridian to a depth of 10 to 20 millimeters. One inch would be 25.4 millimeters to give you an idea of the depth a needle would go.

Acupuncture is becoming more and more accepted by the conventional medical community, however not all Medical Insurance Plans will cover Acupuncture.

MyAchingKnees.com highly suggests the joint pain sufferer research and consider Acupuncture as a form of treatment for any joint pain particular arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.