Arthritis
Arthritis is known as ‘Painful Obstruction Syndrome’ in Chinese medicine and is something that acupuncturists commonly treat.
There are several types of arthritis (according to Chinese Medicine) and they are classified according to their symptoms:
‘Damp type’ arthritis
Joints, which are visibly swollen are caused by an accumulation of damp. ‘Damp’ refers to over-retention of fluid. Fluid, which lubricates and nourishes joints is called ‘synovial fluid’ and it is necessary for the proper functioning of the joints. Problems arise when this fluid becomes excessive and prevents the joint from moving properly, resulting in pain.
‘Cold type’ arthritis
This condition refers to joints which are cold to touch and frequently swollen. Both damp type and cold type can be caused by over-exposure to damp and cold environments.
‘Hot type’ arthritis
This type of arthritis is commonly seen with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Joints are noticeably hot & swollen and very painful.
Other types
Another type of arthritis is due to Qi stagnation. This is joint pain that moves around a lot and is often associated with stress and emotional turmoil. I have also seen this later type of joint pain with women going through their menopause and acupuncture treatment has been successful.
Although I have classified arthritis into nice neat groups, in clinical practice I often see joint pain which is a mixture, in fact this tends to be the norm rather that the exception.
Different types of arthritis respond differently to acupuncture, however acupuncture is an excellent treatment choice for all types of arthritis because arthritis is characterized by obstruction and acupuncture moves obstruction!
Why do different types of arthritis respond differently to acupuncture?
There is always a systemic imbalance that allows the arthritis to develop. If the arthritic process is very deep-seated then at best, acupuncture may be able to offer pain relief and help prevent the disease from progressing further. If the systemic imbalance is not so severe, or if the patient is strong, then acupuncture maybe able to reverse the condition.