You are planning a great day outside golfing with your friends, but you wake up with redness, tenderness, and swelling in your joints. You’re having an acute gout attack. Usually, the attack lasts a week or ten days, but you need some relief now especially since your knees and elbows are so painful. Acupuncture could be an option for the treatment of your symptoms.
A gout flare-up can be brought on by several things, for example, too much alcohol, stress, or other illnesses. Your flare-up is caused by elevated uric acid levels in your blood. When uric acid crystals form, they get stuck in joints, or tendons, and lead to inflammation causing your pain.
Why You Should Consider Acupuncture
Men with gout are prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) medications for their pain. But there can be long-term effects from these NSAIDs, such as kidney and liver damage, ringing in the ears, headaches, and stomach pain.
A 2019 study in Chinese Medicine Research concluded: “Acupuncture produced a higher total effective rate than the medication, including a greater reduction in pain, swelling, and redness.”
What to Expect
If you choose to see an acupuncturist for treatment, here is what you should expect. The acupuncturist will place very fine, sterile needles into the areas that are swollen and painful. Most people say the procedure does not hurt. The needles may be moved by the acupuncturist. You acupuncturist can apply heat or an electric current. You will have the needles in for around 10 to 20 minutes. The risks are low but you may feel some pain or have bruising later.
Your gout will not disappear overnight, and it can take several treatments for your pain to diminish. Talk to your medical provider before making an appointment for acupuncture. Don’t stop taking your medications unless it’s recommended by your medical provider.
