The doctor said that degenerative arthritis is the second musculoskeletal disease that causes disability in the elderly. In addition to painkillers and local injections, acupuncture can also effectively improve knee pain.

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[Health Channel/Comprehensive Report] With age, human organs and tissues will gradually degenerate, which will affect body functions.

Among them, the doctor said that osteoarthritis is the second musculoskeletal disease that causes disability in the elderly (after low back pain). In addition to painkillers and local injection of drugs, studies have pointed out that acupuncture can effectively improve knee joints pain.

However, doctors remind that degenerative problems are difficult to return to the pre-onset condition, and the main goal should be to improve daily life.

Physician Zhang Jiacheng of Xingen Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic posted on the Facebook fan page "Zhang Jiacheng Chinese Medicine Physician-Experience Quality Chinese Medicine" that degenerative arthritis (Osteoarthritis; OA) often occurs in joints that require weight bearing and overuse, such as hip joints, Knee and finger joints.

Studies have pointed out that degenerative arthritis is the second musculoskeletal disease causing disability in the elderly, and high-income countries spend about 2% of GDP on medical expenses every year, especially joint replacements.

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Zhang Jiacheng explained that the prevalence rate of symptomatic degenerative knee arthritis among people over 60 years old in Asia is about 10%.

However, the important risk factors for degenerative arthritis include age and obesity. Women are born with different structures, which cause the hip and knee joints to have a greater angle of load-bearing force line, which is prone to arthritis.

In addition, excessive use and prolonged immobilization can degrade joints.

Osteoarthritis usually occurs in a single joint

Zhang Jiacheng said that osteoarthritis often occurs in a single joint, mainly in joints that need to bear weight, are frequently used, and have been injured. Osteoarthritis can be prevented from two points:

●Reduce joint injuries:

When engaging in high-risk and high-intensity activities, wear appropriate protective gear to avoid sprains and contusions.

If there is an accidental injury, active treatment and rehabilitation should be performed to reduce the accumulation of joint injuries.

●Avoid excessive use and braking:

excessive use of joints may cause wear and inflammation; prolonged braking will reduce the strength of the muscles around the joints, leading to poor active stability and easy injury.

In addition, not only muscles, but also bones, cartilage and other soft tissues will degenerate due to long-term non-use.

Zhang Jiacheng pointed out that painkillers, physical therapy or local steroid injections can be used. If the patient’s pain is severe and conservative treatment has no obvious effect, he can choose to replace the joint. Although the curative effect is generally satisfactory, it is an irreversible surgical treatment after all. , so as a last resort.

The pathogenesis of traditional Chinese medicine is divided into two syndromes of deficiency and excess

Zhang Jiacheng said that "Surgical Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine" divides degenerative knee arthritis into two syndromes of deficiency and excess, while the excess syndrome is in the acute inflammation stage, and the deficiency syndrome is in line with most symptoms of degenerative knee arthritis.

In addition, Chinese medicine will divide patients into several syndrome types according to the time of onset of the disease, the degree of joint swelling, and other comprehensive assessments.

"Surgery of Traditional Chinese Medicine" divides degenerative knee arthritis into two syndromes of deficiency and excess.

(The picture is taken from Zhang Jiacheng's Facebook fan page)

Acupuncture and moxibustion can improve knee pain

Zhang Jiacheng said that in 2019, National Yangming University (now National Yangming Jiaotong University) published a study tracking the health insurance database. The study included degenerative knee arthritis diagnosed by orthopedics or rehabilitation from 1997 to 2003, and then started Those receiving TCM interventional therapy (including TCM and acupuncture).

The results show that those who have TCM intervention can significantly reduce the risk of knee replacement, which is positively correlated with TCM intervention time.

In addition, he pointed out that in 2021, China’s Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine published an evaluation of the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion on degenerative knee arthritis in the international journal Arthritis & Rheumatology. This study is a multi-center randomized clinical trial. The final results of the trial showed that acupuncture treatment can significantly improve knee joint pain and restore function.

Zhang Jiacheng explained that the subjects in this experiment were between 45 and 75 years old, had knee pain for more than half a year, a pain index (NRS score) greater than 4 points, and imaging confirmation.

The subjects were randomly assigned to 3 groups: electroacupuncture group, acupuncture group and sham acupuncture group. Each group received acupuncture intervention for 8 weeks, 3 times a week, with needles retained for 30 minutes each time.

He said that the efficacy will evaluate the pain index, knee arthritis scale (WOMAC index) and effective response rate (response rate) at weeks 4, 8, 16 and 26.

Compared with each other, the electroacupuncture group was significantly better than the sham acupuncture group, and the acupuncture group was significantly better than the sham acupuncture group in some items.

Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China published an evaluation of the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion on degenerative knee arthritis.

(The picture is taken from Zhang Jiacheng's Facebook fan page)

Degenerative problems are difficult to recover and aim to improve lives

Zhang Jiacheng explained that degenerative arthritis is one of the most common diseases in TCM clinics, and degeneration of the cervical and lumbar spine and knee joints is currently the most commonly treated.

After receiving acupuncture for 2-3 sessions, most of the patients had significant improvement in their pain and mobility.

But he admitted frankly that it is a degenerative problem after all, and it is difficult to recover like a normal person only by acupuncture.

When seeing a doctor, I will communicate with the patient, set goals, and tell him the treatment effect that can be achieved according to the degree of the disease. It is difficult for severe cases to achieve no pain at all. The goal should be set so that it does not affect daily activities, so as to be confident Ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.

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keywords

  • Osteoarthritis

  • Acupuncture

  • arthritis

  • Chinese treatment

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