How Acupuncture Can Help Rheumatoid Arthritis
The chronic condition of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory one that impacts the entire body, particularly the joints. It’s an autoimmune disease too which means that your immune system is attacking your healthy tissues. If you suffer from this condition, you’re often experiencing joint pain.
With RA, pain can be extreme and interfere in your daily life. You may want to consider adding acupuncture to your treatment plan as it could help give you some relief of this unbearable pain.
How Acupuncture Works for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Acupuncture has been practiced for centuries and is based on the vital energy of the body, called chi or qi. This life force is based on 12 main pathways in the body. When these are balanced, you are healthy, but if things are out of whack, you will experience pain.
With acupuncture, it stimulates these specific points using fine needles. Acupoints are clustered near your nerves, and when these needles are placed there, they activate the nerves. Those nerves then send a signal to your brain and spinal cord, which in turn activates endorphin production. This natural pain reliever secreted from your body is the likely reason why acupuncture is so helpful in reducing pain.
While acupuncture can help with pain, it does not prevent joint damage. It can be helpful in alleviating your symptoms and serving as an additional treatment.
What Happens During an Acupuncture Treatment?
If you want to use acupuncture as a treatment to relieve the painful symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, make sure you choose someone with appropriate credentials. The experience of acupuncture itself is described as soothing, even for those that are afraid of needles.
The acupuncturist will make sure you’re in a comfortable position first. Then they will cleanse the areas of your skin that will receive needles. These needles are very small and are only placed just into the skin. After placement of the needles, they will be stimulated and then, you will either feel tingling, soreness, or an electrical type of sensation. While it sounds scary, the feeling is one of relaxation and calmness.
The most important thing about using acupuncture for treating symptoms of RA is that you need to be comfortable and relaxed. If going to an office for treatment sounds intimidating or it’s too hard for you to get out because you’re in too much pain, contact In Your Home Therapy. We have licensed acupuncturists who will come to you for treatments comfortably in your own home.
