KNEE PAIN

Understanding Knee Pain 

The knee is the largest joint in the human body and one of the most complex. It is responsible for balance and stability and is in constant demand which is the joints most prone to injury. Knee injury and knee pain are usually attributed to improper functioning and damage to the complex cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and muscles of the knee. If you have suffered an injury or traumatic accident, then chances are that is the cause of the knee pain. 

On the other hand, it is possible that without any physical impact, your knee might also start to experience pain. Being one of the weight-bearing joints, it absorbs a large amount of pressure as we carry out our day to day activities. For example, when running and climbing stairs, the pressure on the knee is about three times the weight of your body. This is one of the reasons why the knee joint is prone to wear and tear damages.

Because of constant wear and tear of the joint, it leads to bone on bone grinding. These set of symptoms refer to arthritis, which is common among the elderly. 

Knee pain caused by types of arthritis

• Gout. Gout is a type of metabolic arthritis caused by the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joint. It often occurs in the big toe joint and can cause intense joint pain, swelling, stiffness and redness.

• Rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease whereby the immune system attacks the joints of the body.

• Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, and is caused by degeneration of the joint cartilage. This degeneration process usually occurs with age, but can be accelerated by overuse, injury or obesity, which increases stress on the joints.

How TCM views knee pain

In TCM, arthritis belongs to the disorder we call “Bi Syndrome（痹症）”. The cause of Bi syndrome is attributed to pathogenic factors like Wind (风), Cold (寒), Dampness (湿) and Heat (热). It can also be related to deficiencies of the TCM Liver and Kidney.

Arthritis can be treated using various TCM methods such as acupuncture, cupping, tuina and herbal medication (oral or applied). The aim of these treatment is to eliminate pathogenic factors and promote the normal circulation of Qi and blood in the body and/or affected area. Acupuncture and herbal medication can also boost the Liver and Kidney functions to reduce any deficiencies.

• Acupuncture

Acupuncture is often used in the treatment of arthritis. A 2004 research on the effectiveness of acupuncture in osteoarthritis of the knee has shown that acupuncture was able to provide “improvement in function and pain relief when compared with credible sham acupuncture and education control groups”.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15611487/ 

Another research published in 2018 on the clinical efficacy of acupuncture on rheumatoid arthritis concluded that “acupuncture alone or combined with other treatment modalities is beneficial to the clinical conditions of RA without adverse effects reported and can improve function and quality of life and is worth trying”.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29849731/ 

• Herbal Medicine for arthritis knee 

TCM herbal medication is prescribed based on the TCM type of arthritis. Some common herbs used include:  Turmeric (姜黄), Lycopodium Japonicum Thunb. (伸筋草), Achyranthes bidentata Blume. (牛膝), Eucommia Bark (杜仲) and Paeonia tacti lora Pall. (白芍).

WE CAN HELP! 

Knee Pain can be acute, which comes on suddenly and intensely, or chronic, which can last for weeks, months, or even years. The pain can be continuous or intermittent.

The goal of TCM knee Pain treatment is to help the individual to return to the highest level of function and independence possible, while improving the overall quality of life physically, emotionally, and socially.  Shanghai Medical Clinic is TCM clinic in Dubai, it focus on relieving pain and improving mobility (movement) by tui na Massage or acupuncture.