Photo Credit: Aryil Bechtel
Acupuncture for Arthritis and Relieving Arthritic Pain
At Harmony Point Acupuncture in Gainesville, Florida, we provide acupuncture treatment for those suffering from arthritis pain and arthritis complications. The diagnostic system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) allows us to treat each patient’s specific arthritis profile, as well as holistically addressing other health conditions that may be aggravating arthritic pain. We can provide you with clinical yoga therapy that compliments acupuncture for significant improvement in health and quality of life.
“The use of acupuncture is associated with significant reductions in pain intensity, improvement in functional mobility and quality of life.”
— BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014 Aug 23;14:312. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-312.
Call for an appointment:
Bethany Bechtel, AP, PhD 352-222-3816
Recent research article:
Pain management with acupuncture in osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Manyanga T1, Froese M, Zarychanski R, Abou-Setta A, Friesen C, Tennenhouse M, Shay BL. | Author information
Abstract
METHODS:
Two reviewers independently identified randomized controlled trials (up to May 2014) from multiple electronic sources (including PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, and CENTRAL) and reference lists of relevant articles, extracted data and assessed risk of bias (Cochrane’s Risk of Bias tool). Pooled data are expressed as mean differences (MD), with 95% confidence intervals (CI) (random-effects model).
RESULTS:
We included 12 trials (1763 participants) comparing acupuncture to sham acupuncture, no treatment or usual care. We adjudicated most trials to be unclear (64%) or high (9%) risk of bias. Acupuncture use was associated with significant reductions in pain intensity (MD -0.29, 95% CI -0.55 to -0.02, I2 0%, 10 trials, 1699 participants), functional mobility (standardized MD -0.34, 95% CI -0.55 to -0.14, I2 70%, 9 trials, 1543 participants), health-related quality of life (standardized MD -0.36, 95% CI -0.58 to -0.14, I2 50%, 3 trials, 958 participants). Subgroup analysis of pain intensity by intervention duration suggested greater pain intensity reduction with intervention periods greater than 4 weeks (MD -0.38, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.06, I2 0%, 6 trials, 1239 participants).
CONCLUSIONS:
The use of acupuncture is associated with significant reductions in pain intensity, improvement in functional mobility and quality of life. While the differences are not as great as shown by other reviews, current evidence supports the use of acupuncture as an alternative for traditional analgesics in patients with osteoarthritis.
