Knee pain is one of the most common conditions that most patients come to see me in my acupuncture clinic whether it is chronic or acute. Most of the time, Chinese medicine and acupuncture is their last resort when western medication can’t help them to ease or suppress the pain anymore. Knee pain caused by osteoarthritis or injury could have a huge impact on the quality of life of the patients. The level of pain is not only reduced the mobility of the patient but also affected the patients’ quality of sleep. The common condition that could caused knee pain includes but not limited to ACL tear, jumper’s knee, knee cartilages tears, collateral ligament strain, prepatellar bursitis/tendonitis, shin splints, rheumatoid arthritis, post knee replacement surgery and so on.
Despite Chinese medicine and acupuncture being controversial in many ways, the treatment with the humble needle is still a promising treatment method for knee pain. There are many clinical studies show the acupuncture’s ability to relieve knee pain whether it is caused by injury or degenerative of the knees. So, what are the physiological mechanisms of acupuncture in treating knee pain?
After the needle insertion, a signal is sent along the spinal cord to the brain that trigger a release of endorphins, the “feel good” hormones which helps to reduce the pain.
Acupuncture also decrease the production of cortisol that caused the inflammation of the knees, hence it reduced pain sensations and swelling.
Clinical study shows that acupuncture stimulates cartilage repair for patients with knee osteoarthritis using MRI to measure changes in knee cartilage integrity.
Acupuncture also free up the blocked energy and increasing the diminished blood flow to the injured knee ligament or cartilage, expedite the healing process and help the patient to recover faster.
For those who ever attend my acupuncture clinic for the knee pain, they will know how much relieve after the treatment session and how acupuncture saved them from unbearable knee pain. You can expect to notice improvement of the intensity and frequency of pain shortly after the treatment, though some people may require several treatments before noticing an improvement in pain reduction. In short, acupuncture treatment is natural, safe and drug free alternative for knee pain. Of course, acupuncture shouldn’t be used as the only therapy, but it can be integrated with other therapies and lifestyle changes.
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