28 Oct An Effective Treatment for Battling Arthritis
By Dr. Michael Yarish, ND
The Lakeside Clinic Center for Integrated Medicine
Many diseases have been successfully treated with acupuncture. The most common ailments currently being treated are: lower back pain, neck, shoulder and hip pain, headaches and arthritis.
Approximately 4 million Canadians have been diagnosed with arthritis. Many of these people are being treated with medications such as steroids and anti-inflammatories, while many others’ symptoms are left untreated.
Pain is the primary complaint of arthritis sufferers, and acupuncture is a very effective form of pain control. It relieves pain in three ways. First, it causes the body to produce chemicals called endorphins, which inhibit the perception of pain. Second, acupuncture works through the nervous system by blocking the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Third, it deactivates trigger points. Trigger points are often responsible for chronic pain and are frequently found around arthritic joints.
In rheumatoid arthritis, pain and inflammation are constant. Acupuncture stimulates the adrenal glands to produce natural steroids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect. Since they are produced by the body, they do not cause side effects.
In osteoarthritis there is a gradual wearing away of cartilage in joints along with the deposition of calcium in between, which limits mobility of the joint. Acupuncture stimulates the parathyroid glands to produce the hormone that draws calcium out of the arthritic deposits.
At The Lakeside Clinic, we combine acupuncture with herbal medicine, clinical nutrition and homeopathic injections to relieve pain quickly and effectively. These methods can also be used to relieve pain in other joints as well as headaches and fibromyalgia.