Arthritis
Winter is the difficult season for people suffering from aches and pains. The pain and stiffness of the joints and muscle worsen in the cold and damp weather. Acupuncture or Chinese herbs works very well on some conditions that commonly occur in the winter time.
Numerous research has supported the effectiveness of acupuncture on arthritis:
"Acupuncture provides pain relief and improves function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee and serves as an effective complement to standard care. This landmark study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), both components of the National Institutes of Health."
The findings of the study — the longest and largest randomized, controlled phase III clinical trial of acupuncture ever conducted — were published in the December 21, 2004, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
A review, carried out by American researchers, of ten randomised, controlled trials (1456 participants) of acupuncture for osteoarthritis of the knee have concluded that it is an effective treatment for the pain and physical dysfunction caused by the condition. (Acupuncture and osteoarthritis of the knee: a review of randomized, controlled trials. Family Community Health. 2008 Jul-Sep;31(3):247-54).
A large German trial has found that acupuncture is of significant benefit in controlling the pain of osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. 3633 patients included. (Arthritis & Rheumatism, 54; 11: 3485 – 3493).
Frozen Shoulder
Acupuncture and cupping are EXCELLENT for relieving the pain and improving the mobility of the shoulder. It is also a very effective treatment for speeding up recovery after shoulder operations and shoulder injuries. It works by improving the blood and oxygen supply to the shoulder area. For the same reason, heat therapy should be used rather than using an ice pack.
Neck and Upper Back Pain
Chronic neck or upper back pain may also involve pain radiating down the arm and this can be particularly debilitating and demoralising. The conventional approach to diagnosis and treatment is often limited. Acupuncture is a very effective treatment for this condition. Acupuncture does not see neck pain as being just a local problem.
The patient's general health condition and external pathogenic factors such as cold and damp weather are also considered. Therefore, it offers a more holistic way for treating neck pain.
In 2004 a study by a team of researchers at the University of Southampton revealed that acupuncture can be effective in treating chronic neck pain.
Low Back Pain and Sciatica
In May 2009 , the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued new guidelines for the treatment of chronic lower back pain. People who have persistent non-specific lower back pain for more than six weeks but less than a year may be offered the option of 12 weeks of complementary therapy on the NHS, including acupuncture sessions.
In trials of 1,100 patients with chronic lower back pain which had lasted for an average of eight years, almost half (47 per cent) of those who received acupuncture showed significant improvement – compared with barely a quarter (27 per cent) of those given conventional treatment.
The effects lasted for at least six months, long after the treatment was completed. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Regensberg in Germany, who randomly allocated patients to ten 30-minute sessions of sham acupuncture, real acupuncture or conventional treatment.
Lowback pain: early management of persistent non-specific low backpain. NICE May 2009
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