Acupuncture is a wonderful modality for knee pain especially for osteoarthritis of the knee. Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage covering the ends of the bones wears down. When this occurs, the joints have less cushioning and are more prone to inflammation.
In NYC, I have seen many cases of osteoarthritis of the knee joint with great results. Because the cartilage is deep, it may be difficult to work directly on it with manual therapies.
One of the advantages of acupuncture is that the needle can work closer to the inflamed areas within the knee joint. Pain in the joints such as the knees or ankles is a very important condition to treat in Manhattan.
Our lower extremities are our modes of transportation in the city. If they are prone to pain or are not functioning optimally, doing every day tasks such as getting groceries, walking down the subway stairs, or just wanting to get out and about will be more challenging.
How can acupuncture help osteoarthritis?
A question patients often ask me in our Flatiron office is how acupuncture can help osteoarthritis if the cartilage is wearing down. Does acupuncture help regrow the cartilage?The answer is no, acupuncture does not regrow cartilage, but acupuncture when applied to special regions can help reduce inflammation similar or even better than ibuprofen does. One of these areas is acupuncture point region xiyan or “eyes of the knee.”
This treatment region can alleviate inflammation of the knee joint itself especially when it is combined with warm needle therapy. In a previous blog, I mentioned warm needle technique and other forms of moxibustion for alleviating pain in general.
I would say moxibustion when applied to joints can be particularly effective because the herb promotes circulation especially to an area that is hard to reach.
In Chinese medicine theory we say that the joints are spaces where the channels converge and narrow. They are called barrier regions in acupuncture. A barrier is a place that is more prone to blockage.
Acupuncture and Pain Relief
There is a saying in Chinese medicine, “When there is free flow there is no pain, when there is pain there is no free flow. Acupuncture and moxibustion encourage blood circulation by repairing blockages. This results in pain alleviation.
Interestingly, one of the classical needling techniques in acupuncture is called barrier method (guan ci) . This needling is done around the connective tissue of the joints as they insert into the bones. This technique is good for pain in the joints and treats tendon issues. In the video the guan ci technique is shown in conjunction with warm needle moxibustion to reduce inflammation and relieve knee pain.
