Knee Osteoarthritis Alternative Approaches

By Bill Reddy, LAc, Dipl. Ac

Pinecrest Wellness Center

More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles

Knee Osteoarthritis Alternative Approaches

Those of you who suffer from osteoarthritic knee pain may be on medication or considering having a knee replacement.

Osteoarthritis (OA) typically affects the larger weight-bearing joints asymmetrically, with symptoms of local tenderness, joint cracking/grinding and dysfunction, and pain increasing with activity. Fifty percent of people over age 50 suffer from OA.

X-ray findings will show osteophytes (bone spurs) and joint degeneration. According to the Merck Manual of Medical Information, “Drugs are the least important aspect of the total treatment programthis treatment usually provides only short-term relief.”

One of the most overlooked approaches to improve the discomfort associated with arthritis is water. In the book Your Body's Many Cries for Water, Dr. Batmanghelidj asserts that dehydration is responsible for the majority of joint pain in this country, and merely increasing water consumption will relieve the symptoms within 2-3 weeks.

Depending on your level of activity, a good rule of thumb is to drink half of your weight in ounces. If you tip the scales at 200 lbs, you should consume 100 oz of pure filtered water per day. Please be aware that eating a few sticks of celery, or honeydew melon, etc. counts toward your “water” consumption. Soda, coffee, and black tea are diuretics and will cause you to urinate more frequently, and can lead to dehydration.

The World Health Organization reports that acupuncture has been used to treat arthritis for over 30 centuries. There are also modern reports of benefits of acupuncture for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

Acupuncture, in addition to exercise and stretching, can be a helpful adjunctive therapy for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Nearly 9 out of 10 patients report that they benefit from this treatment. If you have arthritis, acupuncture may be an option you should consider.