From Dr. Natalie Meiri’s clinical pearl story about Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Relief From Hip Osteoarthritis With Acupuncture
This is my clinical pearl story about Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Relief from Hip Osteoarthritis With Acupuncture. He was a 49 year old male patient. His chief complaints were right hip pain. To be HIPAA compliant, I will call him Brett instead of his real name.
Brett’s right hip was chronically hurting now for over a year. And Brett even had thigh pain from sudden movement. It had come on insidiously and seemed to be getting worse day by day. Brett may have had some trauma or injury involving his hip in the past. However, it always seemed to subside.
At first, Brett thought his pain was in the low back or buttocks when it was in fact due to his hip. He had seen his primary care physician and had his hip and low back x-rayed. The pain medication his primary prescribed didn’t help at all. So that’s when he decided to try acupuncture.
Brett’s Examination at Meiri Chiropractic
Upon examination, Brett tested positive for his right hip condition. His x-rays taken at the primary care doctor showed degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis). Indeed, as a weight bearing joint, the hip is commonly affected by degenerative joint changes and soft tissue damage. Brett’s diagnosis was osteoarthritis of his right hip. If Brett wasn’t responding in a month, further testing (e.g. MRI) would be ordered.
Hip Anatomy
The hip, like the shoulder, is considered a ball-and-socket joint. It is formed by the head of the femur (thigh bone) which sits in what’s called the acetabulum, a part of the pelvis. The head of the femur is large (ball) and the acetabulum (socket) is deep. The soft tissues (refers to non-bony structures that connect, support, or surround other structures) in your hip are:
- the muscles, which allow you to move.
- the tendons, which connect your muscles to the bone.
- the ligaments are bands of tough elastic tissue around your joints. They connect bone to bone, give your joints support, and limit their movement.
- the fascia – stretchy, thin, white fibrous tissue. All your muscles are enveloped in fascia.
- the bursae – fluid-filled pads that act as cushions at the joints. Bursae reduce friction between the surfaces of a bone and soft tissue
What is Osteoarthritis?
Primary Osteoarthritis occurs usually in middle-aged to elderly people (>45 years old). It is more prevalent in women (female to male 10:1). Primary means this osteoarthritis develops due to aging and the wear and tear that comes along with it.
An example would be Brett’s hip: primary femoroacetabular (hip) osteoarthritis. Typically, your symptoms consists of hip and possibly buttock, groin, or knee pain that was insidious (came on gradually) in onset. Additionally, you note a slow stiffening, specifically internal (inward) rotation. This often results in walking with the hip held in external (outward) rotation. You may complain of low back pain due to excessive extension with weight bearing. The low back pain is really due to compensating for limited hip movement due to hip osteoarthritis.
Common joints involved in primary osteoarthritis are the hips, knees, sacroiliac joint, acromioclavicular (shoulder and collar bone), first metacarpophalangeal (part of thumb joint), first metacarpotrapezium (part of thumb joint closer to wrist), and the distal interphalangeal joints (joints at tips of fingers).
Often initially asymptomatic, you will have a gradual increase in joint stiffness and pain. Moreover, deformity may be apparent such as herberden’s nodes in the hands (bony bumps). If not treated, primary osteoarthritis may eventually lead to joint subluxation (dislocation) and instability.
Cause of Osteoarthritis
Primary osteoarthritis is due to progressive degeneration of the joint or joints involved by an accumulation of microtrauma. A microtrauma is an injury resulting from repetitive stress to tissues.
Brett’s Acupuncture Treatments at Meiri Chiropractic
Brett did a course of acupuncture treatments (1-2 times a week for 12 weeks).
His acupuncture treatments consisted of the insertion of very thin metal needles. These were inserted into the skin and underlying tissues.
Brett reported that he was starting to feel better after the initial visit. Moreover, he continued to improve with each visit. After 12 visits, he was mostly pain-free. Brett continued his acupuncture treatments thereafter at less frequent intervals.
How Does Acupuncture Help Hip Osteoarthritis?
Firstly, a study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine was done to determine the effect size of acupuncture for 4 chronic pain conditions: back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, chronic headache, and shoulder pain. The study concluded: Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain and is therefore a reasonable referral option.
Secondly, research studies have shown promising results for the use of acupuncture to manage arthritis symptoms. However, limitations in study design and sample size suggest that further research needs to be done. More studies to better understand the impact of acupuncture on arthritis pain and inflammation is being done. Nevertheless, with existing evidence and because acupuncture carries a low risk of harm, acupuncture is recommended for people with arthritis.
Thirdly, Acupuncture in combination with a chiropractic care plan may help dramatically to reduce pain and improve quality of life.
Fourthly, Neuroscientists at Harvard Medical School looked at the underlying neuroanatomy of acupuncture. Specifically, that acupuncture activates a nerve signaling pathway. The signaling affects the function of other parts of the body, including organs (and neuromusculoskeletal body parts).
Fifthly, Acupuncture has been used for over 4000 years to treat pain and other health problems safely and effectively. The acupuncture treatment stimulates the imbalanced pathways called meridians. This activates the body’s natural healing abilities. Ultimately, this brings balance back to your body. Indeed, Acupuncture has a beneficial effect when treating many diseases and painful conditions.
Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Relief From Hip Osteoarthritis With Acupuncture
Meiri Chiropractic offers acupuncture for hip osteoarthritis and many other ailments. Dr. Natalie Meiri is a chiropractic physician, board certified in acupuncture with over 20 years of experience. Call today for your acupuncture treatment for hip osteoarthritis at 561-253-8984.
References: Acupuncture for Chronic PainIndividual Patient Data Meta-analysis
- Andrew J. Vickers, DPhil; Angel M. Cronin, MS; Alexandra C. Maschino, BS
- et al https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1357513