Gout is a form of arthritis attributed to an excess of uric acid. Common symptoms of gout include joint pain and inflammation, fever and changes in skin texture and color. Often extremities and joints, such as the ears, hands, feet, elbows, ankles and knees, become reddened or even purple, with small lumps under the skin. Although scientific studies are limited, acupuncture appears to relieve gout and ease related pain with some success. If you suffer from gout, consult with your doctor about available treatment options for your particular case.
Acupuncture Basics
Whereas Western medicine interprets gout as a buildup of uric acid, acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese medicine, which attributes disease to a blockage or imbalance in the flow of vital energy. An acupuncturist restores flow and balance by stimulating various points with very thin needles. These points fall along meridiens, or energetic pathways, each of which corresponds to a particular organ of the body. An acupuncturist treats a specific illness by identifying the affected organ and meridien, and the nature of the imbalance. The practitioner can then apply needles to the necessary points to trigger the body's own healing process.
Acupuncture for Gout
Although Western medical science and TCM interpret illness according to dramatically different frameworks, acupuncture regularly produces positive results in scientific trials. A 2004 study of acupuncture on cases of gout-related liver damage, published in the "Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine," found than the recovery of patients receiving acupuncture was more than 30 percent better than that of the control group. Even if acupuncture is not used to directly treat gout, it may relieve associated pain. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends acupuncture among various complementary and alternative therapies to manage pain and decrease the frequency and length of gout flareups. UMMC also recommends acupuncture for relieving the swelling and inflammation associated with bursitis, a common result of gout.
Combined Treatments
Combining acupuncture with another modality, whether from TCM, western medicine or another field of alternative or traditional medicine, may prove the most effective remedy in some cases. According to a 2002 trial published in the "Liaoning Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine," electro-acupuncture combined with moxibustion, another TCM technique, dramatically improved gout, with an effectiveness of over 90 percent. The control group used colchicine, a common gout medication, and displayed toxic side effects, whereas the group using electro-acupuncture and moxibustion showed no signs of toxicity from treatment.
Additional Considerations
UMMC describes alternative and complementary therapies as potentially "very effective" in relieving gout symptoms. In addition to acupuncture, ask your primary care provider for recommendations on qualified herbalists, homeopaths or nutritionists who can offer gout treatment. Should you opt for a combination of approaches, keep all of your doctors and practitioners informed of the other treatments you are receiving. Acupuncture has little record of negative side effects or drug interactions, but other holistic and alternative treatments may cause damaging interactions with medication.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Gout
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Acupuncture: An Introduction
- "Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine;" Clinical Analysis for the Acupuncture Treatment in 42 Cases of Gouty Renal Damage; Ma X.; Septemeber 2004
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Bursitis
- "Liaoning Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine;" Clinical Observation of Acute Gout Arthritis Treated by Elelctroacupuncture and Mild Moxa Strip; Ying Chen; February 2009
