Arthritis has a “geriatric” connotation, yet it may affect any age group. The term means joint disease/ disorder. Arthritis can be due to many causes such as degeneration or destruction that is age-related or trauma related, infectious, inflammatory, and/or autoimmune. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune related arthritis affecting the neck, back and limb joints. Acupuncture has been used as an adjunctive treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. This post is about Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Acupuncture for Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an Autoimmune Disorder
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder causing an inflammatory arthritis occurring mostly in 25-55 year old women. The common joints involved are hand, ankle, foot, toes, wrist, knee, elbow, shoulder (glenohumeral joint, acromioclavicular joint), neck (atlantoaxial joint, first and second cervical vertebrae of spine) and hips (femoracetabular joints).
Rheumatoid Arthritis often starts as finger or wrist pain. The joints involved most frequently are the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints of the (base of) hands. You may feel the joints are swollen and that in the morning it takes over an hour to be able to move the fingers comfortably. Furthermore, you may feel fatigue and have possible weight loss.
So pain, warmth and associated periarticular (around the joint) soft tissue swelling, stiffness, and range of motion restrictions are signs and symptoms. Also at some point, the body or limb will be affected bilaterally (both sides).
Cause
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder causing an inflammatory arthritis. What happens is the joint forms a reactive pannus. And the pannus is a hypertrophied synovium (overgrowth of lining of joint). This pannus invades and erodes contiguous (nearby) cartilage and bone, causing swelling and eventual erosion. Finally, later changes include flexor (finger folding soft tissue) contractures and ulnar deviation (bend abnormally toward your little finger) of the fingers.
Multiple genetic and environmental factors have been associated with an increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Associations have been seen with being female, a family history of RA, and with exposure to tobacco smoke.
Also, if you possess the class 2 human leukocyte antigen (HLA), you have a genetic predisposition to getting Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Observations in studies show that HLA genes play an important role in the etiopathogenesis (cause and development of disease) of RA. Scientists say the genes provide a sort of ‘prearthritic’ immunological background on which the triggering factors for RA thrive.
What is autoimmune arthritis?
Firstly, inflammatory arthritis is due to an autoimmune disease. The immune system doesn’t work properly and releases inflammatory chemicals. Secondly, the resulting inflammation attacks joint tissues and can cause joint swelling, cartilage/bone damage, and muscle loss. Thirdly, the inflammatory chemicals may activate nerves around the joints and other parts of the body and lead to pain as well. Lastly, because most of the inflammatory forms of arthritis are systemic (effects entire body), symptoms related to inflammation may occur in other parts of the body, including skin rashes, eye inflammation, hair loss, dry mouth, and fever.
Inflammatory arthritis includes a group of arthritis accompanied by joint pain, swelling, warmth, tenderness in the joints, and morning stiffness that lasts for an hour. And joints affected are many joints throughout the body at the same time. Moreover, inflammatory forms of arthritis are much less common than osteoarthritis (wear and tear arthritis), which affects most people at the later stages of life.
Laboratory Findings
Rheumatoid Factor
A positive rheumatoid factor test result indicates that a high level of rheumatoid factor was detected in your blood. A higher level of rheumatoid factor in your blood is closely associated with autoimmune disease, particularly rheumatoid arthritis. A positive rheumatoid factor (IgM antibody) is found in 75% of people with Rheumatoid Arthritis. A rheumatoid factor test is the most useful test to diagnosis rheumatoid arthritis.
Additional findings are:
-Lab testing will reveal elevations in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in Rheumatoid Arthritis cases.
-The CRP test measures the level of C–reactive protein which may be higher due to inflammation.
-Anemia develops in autoimmune disease such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and is found in the Complete Blood Count (CBC test).
Imaging and X-Ray
Radiographic (x-ray) findings usually confirm the diagnosis. However, these are not evident in the early stages of the disease.
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Juvenile means the disease starts around ages 5-10 years old. Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis has the same findings as adult Rheumatoid Arthritis. Common joints involved are hand, foot, wrist, knee, elbow, heel, hip, and cervical spine (neck). Lab work is similar to the adult type with the addition of urinalysis, and other laboratory tests.
Imaging and X-Ray
Radiographic (x-ray) findings are similar to the adult type with the possible addition of growth disturbances of bone and epiphyseal (growth plate of bone) injuries due to the autoimmune disease.
Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Conventionally, RA is treated with NSAIDs, csDMARDs (immunosuppressive medications), glucocorticoids (steroids), and biologics (drugs from natural substances). However, when longtime medications are given for treatment, patients get side effects. Such side effects can be malignancy, immunosuppression, liver damage, bone marrow dysfunction, life-threatening infections, hyperglycemia, interstitial lung disease, and hypertension. Therefore, patients often look for alternatives such as acupuncture.
Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Acupuncture for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Firstly, “available evidence suggests that acupuncture is beneficial for relieving pain and ameliorating quality of life and health index in patients with RA. Thereby, it should be available as an adjunctive nonpharmacological treatment in rehabilitation programs.” (1)
Secondly, studies suggest that acupuncture may work by stimulating the natural opioid (endorphins) system in the body. Additionally, this would provide feelings of well being. Being so ill all the time can lead RA patients into depression.
Thirdly, in another study, acupuncture positively affected the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal connection. This is the body’s primary, long-term stress response system. Also, acupuncture provides a nonanalgesic (not a pain reliever) effect mainly by suppressing the inflammatory response, improving blood flow, and relaxing muscle tone.
Fourthly, Acupuncture works by stimulating certain points on the body known as acupoints. It works by insertion and twisting of thin needles to achieve therapeutic results. Indeed, acupuncture changes or prevents “the perception of pain”. Furthermore, acupuncture treats certain diseases or physical dysfunction this way.
Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Acupuncture for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Acupuncture has been used for over 4000 years to treat pain and other health problems safely and effectively. The acupuncture treatment stimulates the pathways called meridians. This activates the body’s natural healing abilities. Ultimately, this brings balance back to your body. Acupuncture has a beneficial effect when treating many diseases and painful conditions.
Meiri Chiropractic offers acupuncture for Rheumatoid Arthritis and many other ailments. Dr. Natalie Meiri is a chiropractic physician, board certified in acupuncture with over 20 years of experience. Call 561-253-8984 today.
References:
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
. 2022 Apr 30;2022:5264977. doi: 10.1155/2022/5264977
Clinical Efficacy of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials