In the November 2006 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism (Vol. 54, pp. 3485-93, 3375-77), the researchers wrote that acupuncture may help reduce the need for patients with arthritis to take anti-inflammatory drugs. Anti-inflammatory drugs have significant side effects for many people, and generally give only short term relief for the chronic pain and inflammation of arthritis and rheumatism.
The reports says that patients who were treated with acupuncture in addition to routine care showed significant improvements in symptoms and quality of life compared with patients who received routine care alone. "The addition of acupuncture to the treatment regimen resulted in a clinically relevant and persistent benefit," the researchers concluded. The improvement in symptoms continued after the treatment had ended.
In 2004, I worked at an elderly day care center in Massachusetts during one of my student clinics and was dismayed by the number of medications prescribed to our clients. Many of my patients expressed frustration with the effort needed to keep track of the dosages, and many experienced side effects, which often resulted in additional medications.
Research shows, and I have witnessed, that acupuncture treatments can reduce or eliminate the need for some medications. It was a joy in my day to hear patients express their personal success whenever their doctors cut back their prescriptions. The doctors themselves were equally pleased, I assume, as they continued to refer patients to our clinic.
It is my hope that anyone who is dissatisfied with relying on drugs for their health will at least try acupuncture as a complementary therapy. As an acupuncturist, I welcome working with western medical doctors in an effort to improve the quality of life for our clients.
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