Acupuncture In York

Arthritis

Arthritis is a generalised name for joint disease and has a number of causes, such as injury and repetitive use. It usually occurs in the over 40's and is more common in women and people who are overweight. It causes pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints and can be very disabling, especially when it occurs in the hips and knees. These symptoms may persist for many years. Conventional therapies may not be very effective or may have risks and side-effects.

Acupuncture has been used by people with arthritis for many years, because they find it helps with the pain, and improves the movement of the joints by easing stiffness and improving physical function. It also has the advantage of having negligible risks and side effects.

Alongside acupuncture treatment, exercise and weight loss can also help to achieve lasting results. Your treatment programme will include advice and help with this if you want to really get the most from your sessions.

The success stories about arthritis from acupuncturists and their patients have led to a significant number of researchers setting up clinical trials to verify the truth of these claims. In particular, there as been a lot of research about osteoarthritis of the knee. In 2007, a systematic review (the best form of research evidence) looked at the results from thirteen clinical trials representing 1334 patients. The authors found that 'Acupuncture .... is significantly superior to sham acupuncture and to no additional intervention in improving pain and function in patients with chronic knee pain.' (White et al 2007)

Evidence presented at the Kyoto conference shows that acupuncture for osteoarthritis of the knee has a biological effect, has a large clinical effect in practice, has negligible risk, and has a cost effectiveness which is well within the usual acceptable limit. On the present evidence, acupuncture is likely to offer an alternative to treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (White and Kawakita 2006)

If you are interested in having treatment please contact Harriet.

Arthritis and Acupuncture: The evidence for effectiveness (PDF)

Osteoarthritis of the Knee (PDF)

References

White A, Foster N.E , Cummings M, Barlos P. (2007) Acupuncture treatment for chronic knee pain: a systematic review. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2007 Mar;46(3):384-90.

White A, Kawakita K.(2006) Acupuncture in Medicine;24(Suppl):S71-76.

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"Since having acupuncture treatment with Harriet, the arthritic pain in my knees has virtually gone, and I can walk more much easily. On holiday in Rhodes recently, I was able to walk all the way up to the Acropolis. Its great to be able to join in with everyone else again." Pauline, 52

"I had acupuncture to help me lose weight before a hip replacement operation. I lost 2 stone and started to be able to exercise. I had lots more energy and even started to redecorate the house. Before the treatment, I could hardly walk, let alone get up a ladder and strip wallpaper. The best thing was, as the weight came off, Harriet started to treat my hip. I had a lot less pain and no longer need the operation. I'd recommend it to anyone." June, 63