Rheumatoid Arthritis

In fact, it is so common that more than 54 million people in the United States (25% of the country’s population) have arthritis, 1.3 million of which are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, stated the American College of Rheumatology.

Even though the condition can’t be cured, the symptoms can be managed with early medication treatments, usually with anti-rheumatic drugs. But there is one problem. Drugs such as these often come with a massive list of side effects.

To avoid putting too many chemicals in their body, people have been turning their attention to alternative medicine, particularly Chinese practices. But, with a painful and debilitating condition such as this one, few have the guts to experiment.

The question is, can you rely on acupuncture and Chinese medicine to soothe the symptoms? How effective can it really be? Here, we will cover everything you need to know about this health disorder and whether or not you should give Chinese medicine a try.

What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

When a joint in the leg gets affected, odds are the exact same joint in the other leg will start to feel the same way. This is what we call rheumatoid arthritis. Basically, any damage that appears in the joint can also pop up on the other side of the body.

This disease is known for causing persistent pain and damage all around the body. Every year, 41 out of 100,000 people are diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

However, it doesn’t only damage the joints; it can appear anywhere in the system, like the heart, eyes, skin, and even the blood vessels. Unlike osteoarthritis, this disorder impacts the joint’s lining, which is why you start to feel pain and swelling.

Symptoms

When the disease is in its early phase, it will usually start to damage smaller joints, like the ones we have in our toes and fingers. Overall, people may experience:

• Stiff joints that usually gets progressively worse after lack of exercise or waking up
• Inflammation, warmth, tenderness in the joints
• Lack of appetite
• Fever
• Exhaustion

The more it progresses, however, the likelier it is to spread to different sections of the body. According to Mayo Clinic, 40% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis will experience symptoms that have nothing to do with their joints, like changes in the heart, skin, eyes, kidneys, lungs, etc.

Conventional Treatment

The disorder can’t be cured; however, there are plenty of options for relieving the symptoms. Right now, doctors have four different medications they can recommend.

• DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, like Methotrexate)
• NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
• Biologic antirheumatic drugs ( agents)
• Corticosteroids

DMARDs are a standard approach. They are meant to curb the onset of the disease. The biologic ones, on the other hand, are often used to keep the immune system on track. The NSAIDs are mainly designed for the early stages but have no effect on the progress of the disease. Corticosteroids are a short-term option.

But, there is one thing they all have in common – they come with a lot of side effects. That’s why so many people are willing to try an alternative approach.

How Can Traditional Chinese Medicine Help?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a tricky health problem to treat. But, Chinese medicine is a key strategy in managing the symptoms.

All three components of Traditional Chinese medicine, including massages, acupuncture, and herbs, have an important role to play. According to research, they provide the body with the much-needed therapeutic effects.

In fact, some Chinese herbs possess potent anti-rheumatic properties. While massage and acupuncture are best used for:

• Restoring joint motion
• Soothing pain
• Relieving discomfort
• Boosting quality of life

In other words, the endocrine, nerve, and immune system can highly benefit from this form of treatment.

Why Choose Traditional Chinese Medicine for Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Enough research and statistical analysis support the positive effects of Traditional Chinese Practices.

According to the study published by the Healthcare Medicine Institute, acupuncture might be  better than drugs at treating Rheumatoid Arthritis. To evaluate the full extent of traditional Chinese medicine, they compared the effects of acupuncture and herbs with medications.

The results were evident. The group that received a combination of acupuncture and herbs noticed an effective rate of more than 95%, while the other group experienced only 68%. Plus, the group that took the drugs experienced an 18% side effects rate, while the other group had only a 3.2%.

A different study from the same institute also supported the results. Their research indicates that herbs and acupuncture provide fair pain-relief properties and boost the quality of life. The effects get better with time, and the best improvements can be noticed 12 months after consecutive treatment.

One of the most significant negative effect of the arthritis is the bone and a cartilage damage that lead to joint deformation and disability. On the other hand, the meta-analysis of sixteen studies that involves 1,171 patients shows that integration of Traditional herbal remedies into the patient care for 3 to 6 months may protect bones and cartilage from destruction.

Chinese herbs have potent natural compounds that can prevent bone erosion, as it also shown in animal studies. When combining multiple specific herbs packed with fatty acids and anti-inflammatory properties, it can create a formula that balances out the flora in the intestines and boosts bone protection.

Take the Bi-Qi capsule, for example. Statistics show this formula can reduce inflammation, cartilage destruction, and become a fundamental component in treating Rheumatoid arthritis.

Overall, traditional Chinese medicine could be a good adjunct therapy to the conventional medicine. When combined with arthritis drugs, it can be a useful strategy for managing the condition in the long haul.

Sunrise Neuro-Acupuncture Integrative clinic provides care for  rheumatoid arthritis. If you would like to receive more information about this treatment or to book an appointment, you can call us at 613-853-9099