Acupuncture is highly efficacious in the treatment of chronic and acute knee pain including tendonitis, arthritis, and post-traumatic and post-surgical injury recovery. I was fortunate to study under the auspices of the great Prof. Wae Shui and learned his phenomenally successful approaches for the treatment of knee disorders. I owe much of my clinical success to his development of modern acupuncture. As a result, patients with meniscus damage, arthritis, and ACL, MCL, and LCL disorders can expect significant positive outcomes. This includes non-surgical and post-surgical interventions. In addition, athletes can look forward to improved performance and stability.
Knee treatments usually begin with one to three acupuncture visits per week and demonstrate significant results within the first two weeks. Results include greater range of motion, decreased swelling, and the reduction or elimination of pain. In addition, knee treatments prevent the onset and progression of degenerative knee disease. Often, electroacupuncture is applied to encourage greater blood circulation to the affected region. This treatment reduces pain, allows for tissue repair, prevents the formation of scar tissue and nourishes the tendons. For many years, my patients have enjoyed this remarkable and important benefit of acupuncture- knee recovery.
There are numerous studies from the finest research institutions in the United States that prove the effectiveness of acupuncture. For example, a study released in December 2004 notes that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Dr. Stephen Straus, director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine notes, “For the first time, a clinical trial with sufficient rigor, size, and duration has shown that acupuncture reduces the pain and functional impairment of osteoarthritis of the knee.”
Knee Pain
Acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic and acute knee pain including conditions due to injuries, tendonitis, and arthritis. Acupuncture is also an important procedure following surgical correction of knee disorders such as ruptured ligaments and tendons. The application of acupuncture eliminates pain, stimulates tissue repair, reduces recovery time, and restores normal range of motion. Acupuncture is also effective in strengthening the knee so that it does not buckle (“give out”) when standing and walking.
Western science has now proven that acupuncture is an important and effective treatment for knee pain and the correction of knee dysfunction. Numerous studies now support acupuncture for the treatment of knee pain including a study demonstrating the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of osteoarthritis. In December of 2004, a division of the National Institutes of Health, the NCCAM (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine), in conjunction with the National Institute of Arthritis published their research findings concerning acupuncture and the treatment of knee pain in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The research conclusively notes that acupuncture is an effective treatment for arthritis of the knees.
My patients are often pleasantly surprised by the success of acupuncture for the treatment of knee pain. Many new patients note that they have “given up” hope after years of medications and at least one or more surgical procedures and physical therapy. These patients are perhaps the most surprised to discover that only a few acupuncture treatments reduce or eliminate their knee pain and also restore strength, stability, and range of motion. Acupuncture achieves this result by stimulating the micro-circulation of blood and bodily fluids in the affected regions of the knee. In this way, the endocrine system (the body’s “chemical factory”) receives the proper neurological impulses to produce the secretions necessary to engage the healing process.
