Arthritis affects about 70 million individuals in the United States each year and is the number one cause of disability in that country. Manifesting in more than a hundred forms, arthritis is a complicated disease that can strike at basically any age. Among its hundred of manifestations, arthritis usually appears in the form of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Because of this, massage therapies and acupuncture are seen as sensible forms of treatment for this debilitating disease.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that affects joints although several patients tend to feel the condition affecting other parts of the body, including the heart, lung, blood, and even the tissue of the skin. This type of arthritis can be chronic (long lasting) and is marked by an inflammation of the synovium, which is the smooth lining of the joint. When the synovium is inflamed, it causes redness, warmth, stiffness, and joint swelling. The joints that are affected may lose their shape making it hard for the person to move normally.
Osteoarthritis
Affecting more than twenty two million Americans each year, osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in the United States. In contrast to rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis is a systematic breaking down of the joint cartilage leading to stiffness and extreme pain. The hips, spine, fingers, and knees are the body parts most commonly affected by this disease although it can also strike the shoulders, elbows, and ankles in some people. But from time to time, due to a certain injury, it may also affect an uncommon area of affliction. Injuries sustained from work are typical causes of osteoarthritis development. If your job entails, for example, frequent squatting, bending, or kneeling it may heighten your risk of developing this condition, particularly in the knee.
Massage Therapies and Acupuncture for Arthritis Treatment
Recently, the use of massage therapies and acupuncture for arthritis treatment has indicated that these two therapies are very effective alternatives modes of treatment to conventional medicine. Moreover, the use of massage therapies and acupuncture for treating arthritis both have deep roots in the mystical world of ancient medicine. We can surely see this with acupuncture.
Acupuncture Arthritis Therapy
As with other types of alternative treatment, acupuncture has been incredibly effective in treating inflammation and pain related to many forms of arthritis. Ancient Chinese medicine customizes acupuncture therapy based on the own symptoms manifested by the patient which then requires a unique plan of treatment that includes acupuncture therapy, lifestyle changes, energetic exercises, Chinese diet therapy, body works, and Chinese herbs.
Needles used in acupuncture are not necessarily placed on the areas directly affected by the condition, but rather in certain other locations throughout the body. Some patients may just see those tiny acupuncture needles inserted in every area of their body from their arms to their legs and maybe even all the way down to their smallest toe. These needles stimulate the body in a way that you’ll feel so relaxed that you might end up falling asleep during the treatment. The treatment may last for five to thirty minutes depending on the severity of the condition.
Both massage therapies and acupuncture are used to combat arthritis. Like acupuncture, massage therapy is thousands of years old and known to be widely used in ancient Greece. Some of the benefits this therapy can give a person suffering from arthritis include:
-Improving circulation to the skin
-Soothing tense muscles
-Enhancing joint movement
There are different forms of massage therapy that can be used in treating arthritis. Some of the more popular ones include:
-Swedish massage
-Reflexology
-Acupressure
-Deep Tissue Massage
-Trigger Point Therapy