Can Acupuncture Help with Knee Pain?

This Chinese medicine technique is recommended for chronic pain. One of the most common causes of chronic knee pain is Osteoarthritis. It causes pain, inflammation, and stiffness, making it hard to flex and extend your knee.

Across the country, doctors are striving to avoid prescribing medication, particularly opioids for chronic pain. Research shows acupuncture to be a cost-effective way to treat pain with very little risk for the patient.

In fact, acupuncture is one of the treatments now recommended as the first line of defense against pain in national guidelines for physicians.

Acupuncture can also be combined with conventional treatments, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy and/or injections. In addition, acupuncture can provide short-term pain relief until knee replacement surgery is performed.

Acupuncture stimulates certain body points with pre-sterilized single-use disposable needles and it can encourage the flow of chemical and electrical information through the body, or block that flow—thereby moderating the perception of pain. It has also been shown to inhibit proteins that increase inflammation and can strengthen weak muscles or relax tense ones.

During a 50- to 90-minute treatment, an acupuncturist will ask a series of questions about your joint pain and your general health. Acupuncture is generally painless, though you may feel a fleeting prick as the needles are placed. They’re put at specific points that open meridian pathways, where energy is said to flow through the body.

Besides promoting an anti-inflammatory effect, studies show that acupuncture releases endogenous opioid endorphins (the body’s natural pain-relieving chemicals).

Don’t let arthritis of the knee keep you in constant pain, and limit your ability to function and enjoy life. But today, more than ever, it’s important to look beyond chronic pain medicine — especially opioids — for solutions.

Acupuncture is a good option to keep in mind to decrease pain, inflammation, and stiffness, and increase range of motion in your knee.

Orthopedic Corner | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201  Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119