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Alternative Arthritis Therapies: Acupuncture

Summary & Participants

Conventional medical treatments for arthritis have come a long way in recent years. But many people suffering from arthritis pain have found additional comfort in so-called "alternative" or "complementary" therapies. How effective are they? And more importantly, how safe? Join our panel of experts as they discuss these therapies, and how they should be used.

Medically Reviewed On: July 10, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ALLAN GIBOFSKY, MD: Quite frankly, the insertion of a acupuncture needle at the appropriate point or appropriate meridian, as I'm sure Dr. O. will teach us, really has no pain at all. I've had acupuncture performed on me. I would tell you that as an appropriate analgesic it worked. As an anesthetic it worked. There is also the use of acupuncture to change various behavioral habits, such as smoking and nail biting. In a number of instances, it works as well.

The fact that we may not know exactly how it works is less important than the fact that in many people it does work. There have been control trial again and again that demonstrate clear advantages to appropriately performed acupuncture when compared to sham techniques.

So I think we need to be exceptionally open minded to the use of this skill in our patients with painful conditions and debilitating conditions.

DAVID MARKS, MD: When should it be used in arthritis?

ALLAN GIBOFSKY, MD: I think that acupuncture is part of a physician's armamentarium and should be use, not instead of, but together with the various other modalities available such as physical therapy and medication. In some instances in my experience, patients who are receiving appropriate acupuncture therapy have been able to lessen their use of pain medications and other medications which have side effects. Dr. O., would you agree?

IFEOMA OKORONKWO, MD: Indeed. In fact, that's exactly how we use it at NYU, where it is an integrative medicine rather than an alternative medicine to the traditional approaches.

Particularly with analgesia or pain, the literature is very strong in the uses of acupuncture to address these pain syndromes.

DAVID MARKS, MD: Why don't you very quickly show us what you brought and tell us how it's used.

IFEOMA OKORONKWO, MD: Indeed, Allan mentioned the use of acupuncture for some additions; not just drug addiction or nicotine addictions, i.e., smoke cessation, but also for weight loss.

Some of the tools that we use for that might be these tiny little needles, which are millimeters in length, placed in the ear. That's called auricular or ear acupuncture. Oftentimes combined with this, we might use electrical stimulation to the acu-points, known as electrical acupuncture. This device, you can have various intensities of electricity to stimulate the points. So you have to be very careful. Acupuncture is not a benign intervention. Believe it or not, people can get worse. So you have to really integrate the Chinese tradition with the traditional medicine to get effective results.

DAVID MARKS, MD: But some of these things may work for some people. The story is that we really need to study them further to see really which ones are more effective and which ones aren't.

ALLAN GIBOFSKY, MD: And when they do work, or when our patients think they work, as long as they are not harming the patient, we need to keep an open mind. I have patients who ask me, "Should I wear a copper bracelet." My response to them is "Absolutely wear a copper bracelet, and remember to put it on when you're reaching for the medication that I prescribed to you." If a medication is working, fine. But if an integrative therapy - and I really love that word. I'm going to begin using it more and more. If an integrative therapy does no harm - and that's the first rubric of our profession, above all do no harm - we really need to be more open-minded and to encourage our patients to make use of what works for them.

DAVID MARKS, MD: Well that's going to be the last word. Thank you both for joining us. And thank you for joining our webcast. I'm Dr. David Marks. Goodbye.

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