Auricular acupuncture can offer relief from pain and enhance mobility of arthritis sufferers. Several acupoints of the ear can significantly relieve arthritic symptoms of the shoulder, elbow, neck and lower extremities. However, consult with an endocrinologist before engaging in nonconventional treatments for autoimmune diseases, such as arthritis.
Auricular Acupuncture Points
A study published in the April 2003 issue of “Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion” investigated the effects of the auricular, or ear, acupuncture points Jian-Suogu and Zho-Jain for the treatment of arthritis in the shoulder and elbow, respectively. The researchers recruited 124 patients and instructed them to move the affected joint during therapy. The study reported that 86.3 percent of the participants had recovered movement of the joint and 88.7 percent reported a decrease in pain. The authors concluded that ear acupuncture offers a fast and effective therapy for the relief of arthritic symptoms.
Inflammatory Response
Beta-endorphin is a chemical signal that promotes inflammation and is sometimes used as a diagnostic tool for arthritis. A study appearing in the January 2007 issue if the “Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine” evaluated the efficacy of auricle acupuncture using six acupoints to decrease the production of beta-endorphin in a rat model. The researchers found that ear acupuncture could regulate the production of beta-endorphin and inhibit the inflammatory response in several tissues and organs.
Electro-Acupuncture
Auricular electrically stimulated analgesia is a type of electro-acupuncture used by European physicians to limit the anesthetic requirements of patients during a procedure. A clinical trial in the February 2002 issue of “Anesthesiology” investigated the effectiveness of acupuncture to the tragus, the cartilage between the cheek and the ear canal, to inhibit pain of the face and neck. The researchers recruited volunteers and subjected them to an electrical current from one side of the face to the other and documented the amount of movement caused by the electrical stimulation with and without electro-acupuncture of the tragus. The study found that tragus stimulation significantly decreased the patients’ perceived pain.
Warm-Needling Acupuncture
An article in the “Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science" investigated the effectiveness of warm-needling acupuncture on the auricle acupoints Ganshu (BL 18) and Pishu (BL 20) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers measured several parameters before and after treatment, including joint pain, tenderness, swelling, gripping force, stiffness and walking time. The study found improvement in each of these symptoms and claimed an 86.2 effective rate in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
References
- “Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science”; Warm Needling Method on Rheumatoid Arthritis; J. Liu, et al.; June 2006
- “Anesthesiology”; Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation of an Auricular Acupuncture Point Decreases Anesthetic Requirement; R. Grief, et al.; February 2002
- “Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine”; Effect of Acupuncture on β-EP Levels of Plasma, Hypothalamus, Pituitary and Lymph Node in Rats with Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis; L. Zhang, et al.; January 2007
- “Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion”; Clinical Observation on the Transient Effect of Auricular Acupoint Penetration Needling Along the Skin on Periarthritis of Shoulder; C. Jia, et al.; April 2003
