Acupuncture for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Recently I found an excellent study in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine supporting the use of acupuncture for pain management in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

This study also suggested a few mechanisms for HOW acupuncture might be able to impact this autoimmune inflammatory condition.

The research: Chou PC, Chu HY. Clinical Efficacy of Acupuncture on Rheumatoid Arthritis and Associated Mechanisms: A Systemic Review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Apr 12;2018:8596918.

What is rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own cells, particularly the lining of the joints in the hands, fingers, wrists, and knees.

This causes painful swelling and inflammation in the joints and can significantly impact quality of life – AKA, making it hard to do the things you love. 

Here are the results of the study on acupuncture for rheumatoid arthritis, summarized by the authors:

The authors concluded that,

“…acupuncture alone or combined with other treatment modalities is beneficial to the clinical conditions of RA without adverse effects reported, and can improve function and quality of life.“

“Several important possible mechanisms were summarized including anti-inflammatory effect, antioxidative effect, and regulation of immune system function.“

If you’re ready to try acupuncture to help manage your rheumatoid arthritis, we’d love to help.

Click the “Book” button below to set up an appointment.