How acupuncture can help to reduce your knee pain

When you sit, stand, land or propel yourself in any normal way, you need full movement and support from your knees.

No wonder the knee is the joint that suffers most from (a) injury and (b) wear, tear and degeneration. It’s a complex joint with many components, making it vulnerable to injury particularly to sprains and tearing of the soft tissues like ligaments. Also, as we age our knees are particularly prone to arthritic conditions. The resulting degeneration of tissue, bone and cartilage causes severe pain and immobility, and with it frustration and depression.

So what can we do about it? Recent studies published by Arthritis Research UK have found that acupuncture comes out top among alternative treatments for arthritic and muscle pain.

Meridian Acupuncture Health Care director Ben Yung-pin Lian explains that acupuncture can relieve many knee pain conditions by stimulating the body’s own painrelieving hormones (endorphins and encephalins).

‘‘In Chinese medicine terms, acupuncture frees up the ‘Qi’ or vital life force that normalises blood flow and lymphatic drainage, and tackles pain and disease. Repeated treatment can bring long-term benefits such as reducing inflammation, alleviating pain and creating more mobility.’’

Meridian Health in Mt Wellington specialises in acupuncture treatment for the relief of knee pain including arthritis conditions, waiting for surgery, infections, cysts, bone tumours, overweight stress, sports injuries, muscle tension, as well as generally improving function. Most patients find acupuncture treatments cause minimal discomfort, with no sideeffects.

Ben takes time to ask about and evaluate each patient’s overall health, believing that improved general health is an aid to prevention of pain problems. Ben can also recommend knee exercises designed to prevent re-injury.

Meridian Health also prescribes acupuncture for back, joint, neck and shoulder pain and headache. The centre is ACC-registered.

Meridian Health, 156 Waipuna Rd East, Mt Wellington.

Open 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday.

Phone 527 0383. www.meridianacupuncture.co.nz.