Suffering Arthritis Pain in Your Knee? Acupuncture Can Deliver Relief

Here’s a sobering statistic: Chronic knee pain affects nearly 50 percent of older American adults, and knee pain is the most commonly reported pain among adults ages 50 to 69. Much of that knee pain is attributed to arthritis. 

A bit about arthritic knee pain: Traditional therapies for arthritis, such as medication and surgery, have many limitations. Medications may offer temporary relief but can come with side effects. Surgery is quite painful and expensive, and can also lead to side effects — not to mention the recovery period where your functionality may be severely limited. After surgery, you may need to endure additional treatment in the form of physical therapy. 

So what’s a person to do when medications don’t work and surgery isn’t on the table as an option (or has already failed you)? You may need to turn to alternative, integrative therapies. One such option is acupuncture — in this article, learn how the professionals at Jersey Integrative Health and Wellness treat arthritis pain with acupuncture.

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture involves inserting very fine needles into your skin at particular sites around your body. This alternative therapy has been utilized for centuries in ancient Chinese medicine, and it’s performed with the intent to unblock energy pathways, or meridians, throughout your body. Unblocking these meridians is thought to promote blood flow, release blocked or pinched nerves, heal connective tissues, and stimulate your body’s natural painkillers. 

How can acupuncture help knee pain? 

Research suggests that the ancient practice of acupuncture can relieve pain for several conditions and success rates from acupuncture have been high in treating knee pain from arthritis.

Acupuncture promotes an anti-inflammatory effect and releases “endogenous opioid endorphins,” or the compounds that your body produces and releases to relieve pain. Together, those two effects can reduce the stiffness you feel in your knees and improve your range of motion and overall function. 

What to expect during an acupuncture session

You have acupuncture points all over your body. At an acupuncture session for arthritis pain in your knee, your doctor will focus on the meridians that affect your knee joints. You’ll lie down comfortably while your provider inserts the thin needles into the acupuncture sites. Because the needles are so thin, you may not even feel them. Depending on your particular case, your doctor may gently twist or swirl the needles to stimulate healing. You’ll lie down and relax with the needles inserted for 10 to 20 minutes. After the session, you may feel energized or a relaxed kind of sleepy — everyone responds differently to acupuncture. 

Who’s a good candidate for acupuncture? 

Acupuncture is a gentle, safe procedure that’s suitable for almost everyone. If you’re interested in acupuncture for knee pain, one of the doctors at Jersey Integrative Health and Wellness can help you determine whether acupuncture is the right treatment for you. 

Want to learn more about arthritis and acupuncture? Here’s some additional info on knee pain,  arthritis, and acupuncture. To schedule an acupuncture appointment, call Jersey Integrative Health and Wellness at 862-666-9285 (Pompton Plains) or 201-942-4555 (Jersey City). You can also book an appointment online.