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With
nearly twenty million Americans currently suffering from some type of arthritis many of them
looking for alternates for pain relief to the daily medications they must ingest. One reason is
that some of these medications can have serious side effects. Many of these people are looking for
any pain relief alternatives that are both safe, and preferably, more natural.
Acupuncture therapists claim that they can help relieve pain in those who are suffering from
arthritis. A study conducted a few years ago on treating arthritis in the knee proved without a
doubt that using acupuncture on arthritis pain will not only reduce the pain but it will also
improve function of that joint. After years of ridicule from practitioners of western medicine who
were not able to understand this very old Chinese alternative medicine it has not only gained
acceptance in the public eye, it has gained scientific acceptance. The public understands that it
can relieve their pain which is why acupuncture use is widespread in the United States. But, the
conclusion of this latest study shows that health care providers must open up more to the
possibility of suggesting this therapy for their patients.
The recent study was conducted using nearly six hundred patients, all over fifty, who suffered from
chronic knee pain due to arthritis. They were divided into three groups, each receiving a different
treatment. The first group was treated with a normal acupuncture treatment plan. The second group
was given fake acupuncture to determine how the idea of getting this treatment would affect them
and the last were the control group. The control group used no medication but instead was
instructed in how to make their chronic knee pain better by themselves through the use of cold
packs, heating pads or exercises. The treatments began twice weekly for the first two months. Over
the next eighteen weeks patients only required one weekly treatment. No one reported any side
effects that were caused by the treatments.
The results were that forty four percent of the patients found a
significant amount of pain diminishment. Forty percent of the patients had an increase in motion
and flexibility of the knee by the time they reached the fourteenth week of treatment. The
researchers came out and said that they were satisfied that the results of their study had proven
that using acupuncture as a pain relief tool was effective. Further they promoted the idea that
using this kind of treatment while following standard treatments from your health care provider was
a good way of caring for those with chronic arthritis. They were not prepared to suggest it as the
sole management of pain from arthritis but as a complimentary treatment they felt it was a more
than adequate choice.
Acupuncture is really worth trying when you think about the possibility of it improving your
chronic pain from arthritis. It could mean the difference between taking medication and not having
to anymore because you have found a safe and natural approach instead.
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