Acupuncture for Osteoarthritis Pain Relief

Acupuncture, electro-acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are very helpful for osteoarthritis (OA) pain relief.

Osteoarthritis is the most common articular disorder. In Australia, 1.6 million people are affected. This represents 7.8% of our population. It is estimated that with ageing, this figure is likely to rise to 2.3 million (9.8%) by 2020.

OA can be divided into primary and secondary types.

Primary OA is a symmetrical condition that affects numerous joints such as knees, metatarso-phalangeal joints of the big toe and thumb, the inter-phalangeal joints of the fingers, the acromio-clavicular joints and the small joints of the spine.

Secondary OA is asymmetrical (one side affected) and affects large weight bearing joints such as the knee or hip. The inter-vertebral joints are also affected.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease and it is slowly progressive. There is gradual degeneration and progressive loss of the protective cartilage within the joints. Damage to underlying bone occurs and the formation of new bone at the margins of the cartilage produce osteophytes (bone spurs). Therefore bony enlargement can be noticed.

Trauma, wear and tear causes OA. Joints previously injured or diseased can develop OA. Physical injury, mechanical stress or metabolic abnormality can break down the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones from rubbing against each other. Consequently, bones begin to grate against each other. This produces pain and further degeneration.

The affected joint is tender, seldom warm and rarely red. Stiffness is frequent but only brief, usually about 5 to 10 minutes in the mornings and after inactivity. Limitation in range of movement often develops and there are usually no generalized symptoms.

The disease begins asymptomatically (without symptoms) in the 2nd and 3rd decades of life and it is very common by the age of 70 years. It is associated with the ageing process and it is the most common form of arthritis.

Men and women are equally affected but onset of OA is earlier in men. Symptoms appear in middle age and before the age of 55 years it occurs equally in both sexes. However, after age 55 years, the incidence of OA is higher in women.

Although OA is the most common form of arthritis, its cause is unknown but can include metabolic, genetic, chemical, endocrine and mechanical factors while emotional stress often aggravates the symptoms.

Disability is less common with OA when compared to rheumatoid arthritis; however, movement can become very limited and pain very severe. After periods of overuse there are temporary exacerbations so it is important to limit overuse. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal support can improve function of the joint and range of movement.

Heberden’s nodes, bony spurs, and lipping of the spine are additional features that contribute to the diagnosis of OA.

In summary:

Management of OA

Although there are various treatments you can have through western medicine or acupuncture and Chinese medicine, it is recommended that you rest the involved joint. Use a cane, walker or crutches in order to reduce weight-bearing. If you are overweight, you must begin to lose weight now.

NSAIDs can be taken for pain relief, surgery such as hip replacement, together with appropriate exercise programme that is balanced and gentle on the affected joint is recommended.

NSAIDs is recommended for short term use only; it can offer limited pain relief and for some people the NSAIDs are not effective at all. So acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can offer a safe and effective alternative.

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