subject: The Quest for Relief: Acupuncture for Arthritis [print this page] The Quest for Relief: Acupuncture for Arthritis
For some, there is nothing worse than feeling helpless when your own body is preventing you from doing something important. Arthritis is a bane among at least 46 million sufferers in the United States.
Gout, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are some of the more common irritants among people. Gout is the result of over secretion of uric acid or decreased excretion of uric acid, or a combination of both. It is attributed to a number of such as starvation from severe dieting, heredity, excessive alcohol intake, illness, and other trigger factors.
Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by erythematic, joint pain, warmth, lack of function, and swelling. People with ages 30 to 60 are generally affected and women are two or three times more vulnerable to inflammatory disorder. Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is marked by accelerated loss of joint cartilage. There is also pain, limitation of movement, and stiffness for one suffering from osteoarthritis. The pain may concentrate on finger joints and weight-bearing joints, such as cervical or lumbar spine, hips, and knees.
In order to manage the painful effects of arthritis, doctors would normally prescribed pain management techniques such as heat and cold, support with splints and braces, joint protection, rest, and analgesics. They would also include exercise for patients to maintain joint mobility.
Arthritis is also treated with physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, or occupational therapy. The therapies would help you improve and work around the debilitating effects of arthritis. Physiotherapy is aimed towards strengthening the muscles and improve fitness in order to improve joint movement and deal with the pain. Hydrotherapy uses water with warm temperature to improve mobility and lessen pain while you exercise. Occupational therapy would suggest specialized equipment and other coping techniques so that you can still work efficiently and, at the same time, control the effects of arthritis.
Now, many people are including acupuncture for arthritis problems. Studies show that acupuncture for arthritis can provide pain relief with little side-effects. In choosing acupuncture, neither the intensity nor prolonged suffering nor the age of the patient are reasons to skip treatment.
Most people have very low tolerance for pain. Pain is the last thing that one wants to experience every day, especially when you have so much activity you wish you should be doing instead of lying about in bed and writhing in pain. The pain becomes too distracting, and when it gets worse, you can become idle while trying to manage the pain.
Although pain impairs your movements, it does not mean that it should impair your decision-making processes, as well. Thus, whether you decide to go with medical treatments or acupuncture for your arthritis, make sure to go to someone competent and ethical to help you. Sometimes, it is not the scientific treatment or alternative medicine that is the problem per se, but the people who incorrectly apply them.
