Both Eastern and Western Medicine has several various treatments for arthritis. If you are suffering from knee arthritis and are open to oriental and alternative forms of healing, acupuncture for the treatment of arthritis of the knee is one of the most effective treatments you can try. Acupuncture is a wonderful and powerful form of treatment for various kinds of body pain including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid. Several studies have shown that this treatment is especially effective for the treatment of ankle- and knee-based pain.
What is Acupuncture?
One of the oldest existing forms of treatment in the world, acupuncture is a healing art that originated in China and has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. The therapy involves the use of needles as thin as the hair in your scalp inserted at foreknown points in the body called acupuncture points, or acupoints, for short. The needles stimulate the underlying nerves in the acupoints to generate physiological responses that aid the body to heal itself. The countries in Northeast Asia (Korea, China, and Japan) have their own special form of acupuncture procedure. Acupuncture became a popular form of treatment in the early 1970’s when it was given wide media exposure by the New York Times. For a lot of individuals, acupuncture for the treatment of arthritis knee ankle pain has worked extremely well. In the United States, the most widely practiced and studied form of acupuncture is a procedure in which massage is first performed in the affected part of the body, which is then followed by insertion of metal, sterile ultra-thin needles into the area where the joint in question is located.
Who Can Use Acupuncture?
One does not require a diagnosis for arthritis to get acupuncture treatment. Since a majority of licensed practitioners are not licensed physicians, no consultation of your insurance company is needed as a lot of them do not cover in their insurance plan alternative therapies like this one. If you want to know the certified or qualified acupuncturists in Bellingham that you can go to for treatment, you can talk to your herbalist or even your own doctor. They may be able to refer you to qualified practitioners. Also just to make sure, check the credentials of your acupuncturist. If he/she has been accredited by the NCCAOM or National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, then that practitioner is a qualified professional. You can also search online and locate websites that list acupuncturists in or near your area. It is important to remember though that since your acupuncturist is not a doctor he/she will not be able to provide you with a diagnosis for your arthritis joint pain, but instead only help you with the relief of your pain.