Acupuncture for arthritis

Arthritis is joint pain and/or swelling. The affected joint may be red, feel hot and the range of movement is limited. It can start very gradually in one joint and spread to other joints or the onset can be sudden.

There are different types of arthritis, and also different underlying causes.

The most common ones:

Osteo-arthritis is where the cartilage and bone in the joint degenerate, something that may occur with ageing.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto immune disease which mainly affects wrists, hands and feet and can spread to other joints.

Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that comes on suddenly, causing swelling and redness of the joint, often the big toe,  and is very painful. Gout is often caused by a combination of high fat diet/ alcohol and underlying health conditions. 

In Chinese Medicine arthritis is called ‘Painful Obstruction Syndrome’.  The obstruction of the Qi, fluid and the blood in the affected joint that causes pain and swelling.

Acupuncture cannot eliminate arthritis but can be effective in reducing the symptoms of swelling and pain.