Electroacupuncture Therapy

The Benefits of using Electroacupuncture for Osteoarthritis

Can individuals with osteoarthritis find the relief they deserve through electroacupuncture to restore knee and hip mobility?

Introduction

The lower extremities provide movement and stability to the body, allowing people to be in motion. The hips, lower back, knees, and feet each have a function to do, and when traumatic issues start to affect the spinal structures, it can cause numerous symptoms to pop up and cause pain-like symptoms. Additionally, degenerative factors are natural to the joints of the lower extremities as many people make repetitive motions to their bodies that lead to the degenerative process. One of the most common degenerative issues that affect the lower extremities is osteoarthritis, which can make many people feel miserable. Today’s article looks at how osteoarthritis affects the lower extremities and how treatments like electroacupuncture reduce inflammation associated with osteoarthritis and restore knee and hip mobility. We talk with certified medical providers who consolidate our patients’ information to understand better how osteoarthritis affects their lower extremities. We also inform and guide patients on how electroacupuncture therapy can help reduce the inflammatory effects of osteoarthritis affecting the hips and knees. We encourage our patients to ask their associated medical providers intricate and important questions about reducing the progression of osteoarthritis through non-surgical treatments. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., includes this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

Osteoarthritis Affecting The Lower Extremities

Have you been dealing with stiffness in your knees, hips, and lower back in the mornings? Do you feel like you are wobbling a bit too much when walking? Or do you think radiating heat and swelling in your knees? When people experience these inflammatory pain issues in their joints, it is due to osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disorder affecting the cartilage between the bones and the tissue components surrounding the joint. Osteoarthritis is multifactorial, meaning it can be idiopathic or secondary while influenced by heredity factors. (Bliddal, 2020) The most common places where people experience osteoarthritis are the lower back, hand, hips, and, most commonly, the knees. Some of the major environmental factors that contribute to the development of osteoarthritis include:

  • Obesity
  • Age
  • Repetitive motions
  • Family history
  • Injuries

When people are dealing with osteoarthritis, environmental factors can lead to weight overloading on the joints, which results in compression and inflammation. (Nedunchezhiyan et al., 2022

 

 

When inflammation is associated with osteoarthritis, it can cause the joints and surrounding muscle tissues to swell and feel hot to the touch. At the same time, osteoarthritis is one of the leading causes of disability that can become a socio-economic issue for many people. (Yao et al., 2023) This is because many individuals with osteoarthritis have comorbidities that are associated with the effects of inflammatory cytokines, which can cause them to be physically inactive and miserable. (Katz et al., 2021) However, there are various ways to reduce the progression of osteoarthritis and reduce the inflammatory effects on the joints. 

 

Electroacupuncture Reducing Inflammation Associated With Osteoarthritis

When it comes to inflammation reduction associated with osteoarthritis, many people seek out surgical and non-surgical treatments that can help decrease the progression of this degenerative joint disease. Many people will do aqua therapy to relieve pressure off the joints and improve their mobility. At the same time, others use spinal decompression to create negative pressure on the joint space. However, many people have found that electroacupuncture can help reduce the inflammatory effects of osteoarthritis. Electroacupuncture combines electrical nerve stimulation and acupuncture by highly trained professionals that can help decrease the pain intensity in the joints and provide functionality. (Wu et al., 2020) Additionally, since osteoarthritis is associated with inflammation, electroacupuncture can promote blood circulation and adjustment of muscle tension on the joints, and improve mobility. (Zhang et al., 2023)

 

Electroacupuncture Restoring Knee & Hip Mobility

Electroacupuncture can help with hip and knee mobility as this non-surgical treatment helps promote pain limitations and muscular atrophy from biomechanical overloading, thus improving cartilage viscoelasticity. (Shi et al., 2020) This allows the joints to retain mobility in the hips, knees, and lower back. When people go through consecutive treatment for osteoporosis, they can recover their muscle strength over time to restore their mobility and reduce the progression of osteoarthritis. (Xu et al., 2020) By doing so, many people can find the relief they are looking for with electroacupuncture, which can enable them to make small changes in their daily routine to ensure they can function throughout the day. 


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References

Bliddal, H. (2020). [Definition, pathology and pathogenesis of osteoarthritis]. Ugeskr Laeger, 182(42). www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33046193

Katz, J. N., Arant, K. R., & Loeser, R. F. (2021). Diagnosis and Treatment of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Review. JAMA, 325(6), 568-578. doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.22171

Nedunchezhiyan, U., Varughese, I., Sun, A. R., Wu, X., Crawford, R., & Prasadam, I. (2022). Obesity, Inflammation, and Immune System in Osteoarthritis. Front Immunol, 13, 907750. doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.907750

Shi, X., Yu, W., Wang, T., Battulga, O., Wang, C., Shu, Q., Yang, X., Liu, C., & Guo, C. (2020). Electroacupuncture alleviates cartilage degradation: Improvement in cartilage biomechanics via pain relief and potentiation of muscle function in a rabbit model of knee osteoarthritis. Biomed Pharmacother, 123, 109724. doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2019.109724

Related Post

Wu, S. Y., Lin, C. H., Chang, N. J., Hu, W. L., Hung, Y. C., Tsao, Y., & Kuo, C. A. (2020). Combined effect of laser acupuncture and electroacupuncture in knee osteoarthritis patients: A protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Medicine (Baltimore), 99(12), e19541. doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000019541

Xu, H., Kang, B., Li, Y., Xie, J., Sun, S., Zhong, S., Gao, C., Xu, X., Zhao, C., Qiu, G., & Xiao, L. (2020). Using electroacupuncture to recover muscle strength in patients with knee osteoarthritis after total knee arthroplasty: a study protocol for a double-blinded, randomized, and placebo-controlled trial. Trials, 21(1), 705. doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-04601-x

Yao, Q., Wu, X., Tao, C., Gong, W., Chen, M., Qu, M., Zhong, Y., He, T., Chen, S., & Xiao, G. (2023). Osteoarthritis: pathogenic signaling pathways and therapeutic targets. Signal Transduct Target Ther, 8(1), 56. doi.org/10.1038/s41392-023-01330-w

Zhang, W., Zhang, L., Yang, S., Wen, B., Chen, J., & Chang, J. (2023). Electroacupuncture ameliorates knee osteoarthritis in rats via inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome and reducing pyroptosis. Mol Pain, 19, 17448069221147792. doi.org/10.1177/17448069221147792

Disclaimer

Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "The Benefits of using Electroacupuncture for Osteoarthritis" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

Blog Information & Scope Discussions

Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

We are here to help you and your family.

Blessings

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182

Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
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Dr Alex Jimenez

Welcome-Bienvenido's to our blog. We focus on treating severe spinal disabilities and injuries. We also treat Sciatica, Neck and Back Pain, Whiplash, Headaches, Knee Injuries, Sports Injuries, Dizziness, Poor Sleep, Arthritis. We use advanced proven therapies focused on optimal mobility, health, fitness, and structural conditioning. We use Individualized Diet Plans, Specialized Chiropractic Techniques, Mobility-Agility Training, Adapted Cross-Fit Protocols, and the "PUSH System" to treat patients suffering from various injuries and health problems. If you would like to learn more about a Doctor of Chiropractic who uses advanced progressive techniques to facilitate complete physical health, please connect with me. We focus on simplicity to help restore mobility and recovery. I'd love to see you. Connect!

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