We’ve seen tremendous success with Acupuncture and Moxibustion helping with reducing inflammation and decreasing the pain/swelling associated with arthritis. Our Registered Acupuncturists have done over 10,000 arthritis focused treatments in our downtown Toronto Center. Plus, keep in mind that pain management is probably the most sought-after treatment in our Yorkville Acupuncture clinic. Chinese Medicine has a lot to say about arthritis and we’d like to break down the problem clearly in a way that’s easy to understand.
If you’ve been living with joint pain–whether it’s stiffness in the morning, aching knees going up stairs, or discomfort that keeps you up at night–you’re not alone. Arthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic pain, and it can affect everything from your workday to your sleep to your emotional well-being. The good news? There are lots of gentle, effective ways to manage arthritis pain–Acupuncture being one of them.
How Acupuncture Helps with Arthritis
Acupuncture is a time-tested, drug-free approach that works by stimulating specific points on the body to trigger the body’s natural healing processes. Needles are inserted both in and around the arthritic joints and elsewhere to help reduce the pain/swelling. Here’s how Acupuncture supports arthritis:
Acupuncture reduces pain and inflammation
Acupuncture helps the body release endorphins and enkephalins, natural chemicals that relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
Inserting needles sets off a cascade of super healing events, sending signals that will travel along the spinal cord through the brain. This will trigger a release of neurotransmitters! These natural chemicals ignite the body’s natural pain relievers and as a result, reduce pain.
- Acupuncture helps with all kinds of pain by creating change in the nervous system (including neurotransmitters) and releasing endorphins.
- As well as reducing pain. Acupuncture can also help with problems that sometimes come secondarily to experiences of acute or chronic pain such as poor sleep, lack of energy, and/or emotional regulation.
- By treating you holistically, and considering these related factors, we can stop the pain spiral and get you back to feeling 100% after just a few sessions.
Acupuncture reduces swelling and numbness
Acupuncture is amazing and reduces numbness, paresthesia and reduced range of motion by placing a needles strategically around arthritic joints. We’ll get circulation moving through the areas that impact swelling. Let’s release the pressure of the joints to reduce nerve impingement.
Acupuncture Improves joint mobility
By increasing circulation and reducing stiffness, Acupuncture helps to restore the ease of movement in the arthritic joints. Your joints will feel lighter, looser and way more free!
Acupuncture supports immune and nervous system regulation – Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, we got you too!
We treat all kinds of arthritis in our Yorkville Toronto clinic. In cases of rheumatoid arthritis, Acupuncture helps modulate immune response and reduce the frequency and intensity flare-ups. With regular treatments, your joints will look noticeably less red, knobby and irritated.
Acupuncture enhances sleep and mood – Chronic pain often affects sleep and emotional health. Acupuncture supports the nervous system and improves energy, restfulness, and mood.
Japanese Moxibustion- a wonder treatment for Arthritis!
Japanese Moxibustion is an ancient heat therapy we use in conjunction with Acupuncture at no extra cost in our Center. We see amazing results with it and we know you will love it!
Moxibustion is said to pre-date Acupuncture and was historically performed in Asia during damp and cold months. It has always been an effective folk medicine known for it’s efficacy in pain management with arthritis. It’s soothing warmth lifts the heaviness out of arthritic joints and quickly takes away the pain.
Most clinics use Chinese Moxibustion, but we found it just doesn’t cut it and isn’t as effective as the Japanese kind of Moxibustion. This heat therapy is so soothing and wonderful for arthritis and not a lot of clinics do it but we do!
How we use Japanese Moxibustion in our Yorkville Acupuncture Clinic
- This ancient and powerful herbal heat therapy that can be applied over the affected joint. If the joints are cold and stiff, Moxibustion warms and expels the cold and dampness that bogs down stiff joints and soothes pain.
- Moxibustion has been used for thousands of years and it’s efficacy in treating musculoskeletal issues is profound.
- Our R. Ac team gets Moxibustion training from our Clinic Owner who has received extensive mentorship from some of the best Moxibustioninsts in Japan. We take pride in sourcing the highest quality mugwort herbs and other Moxibustion supplies from our travels to Japan.
- Bits of a healing herb are placed on the affected joints.
- The herb is burned (gently) on the skin over a burn reducing cream.
- We ignite the herb with Japanese incense.
- Moxibustion can be added to any clinical acupuncture at no extra cost.
Please note that we will need to do an assessment to make sure Moxibustion will be safe and effective. We make the final call on this but in most cases, we can incorporate Moxibustion into most appointments. If you are interested in trying Moxibustion, book a “Clinical Acupuncture” appointment through our booking system. Let your therapist know on the intake form or at your appointment you want to try Moxibustion!
We reduce joint pain and swelling reduction and is usually instantaneous with Japanese Moxibustion. Our patients notice it right away, no wait time required.
Watch how our Clinic Owner Sarah Kreitzer R. Ac treats Arthritis with Japanese Moxibustion
What exactly is Arthritis?
- Arthritis is the inflammation and swelling and pain of one or more joints.
- Arthritis can affect any joint in the body like neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hands, lower back, hips, knees, ankles and feet.
- Arthritis is a common reason people are unable to carry out their work and can result in a decreased ability to complete daily tasks and activities.
The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) View of Arthritis
As Registered Acupuncturists living in damp city like Toronto, it’s important we explain how Chinese Medicine diagnoses arthritis. We view the joint problem differently than a Western Medical doctor would.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, arthritis is often understood as a blockage or imbalance of qi (vital energy) and blood in the body. These blockages can be triggered by external factors like cold, wind, dampness, or heat–or by internal imbalances such as stress, trauma or overuse. If these Chinese Medicine terms are a bit fuzzy, not to worry, all you have to do is come and relax in our comfy clinic. Let us worry about the theory and formulate the PERFECT point prescription for you.
Chinese Medicine identifies four primary patterns in arthritis pain:
- Wind – Pain moves from joint to joint.
- Cold – Pain is fixed and accompanied by stiffness and cold sensations.
- Dampness – Joints feel heavy, swollen, or achy.
- Heat – Joints are red, swollen, and warm to the touch.
It’s also worth mentioning that injuries weaken the joints and predisposes them to the above 4 elemental problems; which can further damage them if left untreated.
The mind/body connection of arthritis
Overthinking is related to the spleen in Chinese Medicine. The spleen produces dampness. Think of dampness as swelling, heavy and water-logged. Dampness settles in the joints. It is believed that our emotions can play a part in physical issues. Too much overthinking, studying and pensiveness can make arthritis worse.
There’s also emotional trauma made by severe or prolonged stress, this can cause muscle spasm, increase the mechanical traction on joints and reduce the qi and blood flow.
By identifying your unique pattern associated with your arthritis symptoms, acupuncture and other Chinese Medicine therapies can help restore balance and ease painful joint symptoms at their root cause.
Homecare and recommendations
When you come for treatment at our downtown Toronto Acupuncture clinic, we’re always up for providing tips and tricks to prolong the healing effects of our care. We’d love to share our favorite recommendations for arthritis that our R. Ac’s often suggest to our patients:
- Keep your joints moving – daily gentle stretches that move your joints through their full range of motion to reduce stiffness.
- Keep good posture – sit with your back straight, avoid sitting cross-leg, keep shoulder relaxed, avoid pushing head forward, keep your knees slightly bent.
- Heat/Cool therapy – applying a heat pad will help to relax and improve blood flow to the joints and surrounding tissues. If you have red, hot and swollen joints, cool packs (not cold) can help reduce the swelling. Do not apply the pack directly to the skin. Apply for 10-minute intervals then repeat if necessary.
- Massage – massage the joints and muscles to activate local circulation and reduce pain, swelling and stiffness.
- Soak away the pain – soak your feet in warm water (not hot) for 20 minutes. Epsom salt can be added. This will help to reduce stiffness, achiness, swelling and pain. Remember to dry and moisturize your feet after the soak.
Lifestyles changes
Lifestyle changes are very important for easing arthritic pain:
Exercise
- Focus should be on stretching, range-of-motion exercises and gradual progressive strength training. Include low-impact aerobic exercise, like walking, cycling, swimming, water aerobics, qigong or tai chi.
- Avoid activities that involve high impact and repetitive movements, like running, jumping, tennis, high-impact aerobics.
- Remember to choose exercises and activities that help you build the muscles around your joints without damaging the joints themselves.
- Know your limits – don’t overdo! It’s important to balance activity and rest.
Weight management
- Excess weight puts extra stress on weight-bearing joints like hips and knees. Losing weight gradually may increase your mobility and limit future joint injury.
Avoid smoking
- Toxins from smoking cause stress on the connective tissues and can increase arthritis pain.
Let Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Chinese Herbal Medicine be your go-to self-care for arthritis. We’re confident we can slow down the degradation of arthritic joints, and help keep them light, loose and limber. See you in at the Center. Come Chill with us!
By Ya Hui Feng Situ R. Ac, R. TCMP
Ya Hui is an MD (Venezuela) who’s also a sought-after Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine Herbalist. Her experience as a Medical Doctor in Venezuela helps her understand the physiology of disease and provide precise treatment of pain related conditions such as arthritis. She can provide orthopedic services and combine them with providing custom tailored herbal prescriptions which can accelerate results. When not being an awesome Chinese Medicine health care provider, you will find Ya Hui in the classroom learning about all-things-healthcare related. She’s known for being gentle, kind, helpful and intelligent. She’s well-loved fixture in our Center amongst her colleagues and patients. Click here to book an appointment with Ya Hui Feng Situ.
