Acupuncture & Arthritis: New Research

Acupuncture has been found to inhibit osteoarthritis-induced pain by activating serotonin to modulate pain receptors, improve weight bearing, and improve joint function. –Alternative Medicine Vol 2011

In Chinese Medicine arthritis is categorized as follows:

Cold Arthritis:  characterized by sharp, stabbing pain in a fixed location and cold sensation in joints, relieved by heat. Recommended foods: garlic, scallions, black beans, black sesame seeds, chicken, lamb, greens, and ginger. Also 10-20 min sunshine and fresh air daily, warm liniments on area, drinking cinnamon/ginger tea and avoiding cold raw foods and cold weather.

Heat arthritis: characterized by red swollen joints, painful and hot, and usually sudden onset. Recommended foods: fresh fruits, veges, cabbage, mung beans & soybeans sprouts. Avoiding: spicy foods, alcohol, smoking and green onions.

Damp arthritis: characterized by heavy feeling in extremities, stiffness, swelling, dull aching pain that lingers and sluggishness. Recommended foods: barley, mung beans, greens, red beans, millet, cornsilk tea (natural diuretic). Cook barley,, mung beans and red beans together.

Kidney deficient arthritis: characterized by coldness, low energy, low back pain, knee pain, weakness, poor hearing, urine retension problems. Recommended foods: warming foods- chicken, lamb, scallions, sesame seeds, fish, baked tofu, walnuts, black beans, lentils and drinking cinnamon/ginger teas. Avoid cold raw foods and fruits.

Kidney deficient arthritis with heat: characterized by irritability, insomnia, nite sweats, damp palms, dry mouth, low back pain, and blurry vision. Recommended foods: cooling foods, apples, peaches, pears, fresh veges, beans, tofu, chrysanthemum tea. Avoid: spicy foods, smoking, alcohol and stress.