A 55 year old woman came to our office with severe osteoarthritis in her hands. She was a pianist and was having difficulty performing. This arthritis case study will describe how acupuncture was able to relieve her pain and allow her to continue playing piano.
Background – The Problem
12 percent of Americans have osteoarthritis (over 21 million people). Commonly known as “wear and tear” arthritis, osteoarthritis causes cartilage to wear down. It appears in a predictable pattern in certain joints. It causes the joint lining to swell, which leads to pain and stiffness in the joint. And it’s very common to develop in the hands and fingers, especially when there is repetitive use.
Arthritis Case Study
Our patient had been dealing with arthritis pain in her hands for the last few years. Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) helped (she preferred Advil), but she wanted a more natural solution. The pain was worse in the mornings, with her fingers and hands feeling stiff and painful. They also hurt more after playing the piano. Her joints were swollen and she had less mobility of finger movement.
Her acupuncture treatment consisted of local points on the hands and distal points on her body. All needles were sterile, single-use and hair thin. The local points were used to increase qi and blood circulation to the hand and fingers. The distal points, mostly located on the arms and legs, were used to reduce inflammation and increase circulation in the whole body.
After four initial treatments our patient felt 20% relief in her pain and mobility symptoms. Another three treatments increased that benefit to 50%. At this point she started coming in for monthly maintenance treatments to help sustain the benefit.
As a result of these treatments our patient was able to dramatically reduce her use of Advil. And she was able to play the piano with much less pain and discomfort.
The Solution
If you struggle with arthritis, try acupuncture. We treat both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis. The strategy for treating rheumatoid arthritis is different, as this is an autoimmune condition. We have a protocol for addressing autoimmune disease that is quite effective.
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What our Clients are Saying
My knees were so bad with arthritis that I couldn’t play golf. My wife did research on the internet and said acupuncture might help. I went in not expecting much. He told me it would take three to six treatments to see if it would work. My case was tougher because I’m overweight. Sure enough, after five treatments the pain started easing. I needed twelve treatments total, but my knees improved so much I’m playing golf again. I go in for what he calls tune-ups every month, but I don’t mind. The acupuncture keeps my knees not hurting. I’ve recommended it to my golf buddies and they’ve had success as well.
I had been getting botox injections for my face over the past five years, and it worked well. But a friend said that acupuncture could get more lasting results in a more natural way. I inquired at Raleigh Acupuncture and was surprised at how affordable it was. They explained that as an added bonus, I would receive acupuncture to help other issues at the same time that they treated my face. So I took the opportunity to deal with some arthritis in my hands and a bad knee. The facial rejuvenation was amazing. It happens over the course of 12 weeks and I literally saw wrinkles disappear! After each treatment I felt so relaxed. I’m hooked on acupuncture now, both for my face and the rest of me. The staff at Raleigh Acupuncture are very professional, friendly and skilled. I felt safe and comfortable during each visit.
All of my joints were hurting. I’ve got fibromyalgia and it effects me by making my joints hurt. The pain would move around from place to place, first the hip, the next day the shoulder, then the knee, etc. The practitioner at Raleigh Acupuncture explained that the best way to treat my kind of moving joint pain was to treat me holistically. Instead of treating the hip one day, the shoulder the next, they treated the root of the pain. They said this type of treatment would also improve my mood and my sleep. Right on all counts. I started feeling better after the second treatment. It’s like all of the joints just settled down and stopped giving me trouble. I had less flares and the intensity of the pain went way down. My sleep is better, not just because I have less pain. I’m more relaxed and less stressed. I’ve made this treatment a regular part of my life. I’m very grateful.
I had terrible pain in my hands from arthritis, especially my thumbs. I could not even open a jar anymore – there was no strength. My neighbor was seeing an acupuncturist at Raleigh Acupuncture, so I made an appointment. They were so sweet. I was apprehensive about the needles, but they told me they would use extra small ones, which I hate to admit, but I couldn’t even see without my glasses. They put needles in my hands, arms and in different places on my legs as well. I believe it made a substantial difference. My hands stopped hurting all the time and my grip strength increased. My thumbs still give me some trouble, but not nearly like before. I’d say I am 80% improved with my arthritis. Now I have all of my friends going to them!
