Study Shows Acupuncture Effective For Osteoarthritis Relief

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that causes the cartilage, which cushions and protects the joints, to slowly erode away. This increases friction every time the joints are used, roughing up the cartilage, and could eventually lead to bone touching bone. The cartilage at the end of a healthy bone should not be quite as hard as bone and it should be less flexible than muscle, thus promoting nice, fluid movements at the joints. Areas of the body made up of cartilage include the nose, ears, and all of the joints. It is mainly the joints of the hands, knees, hips, and spine that are affected by osteoarthritis.

The signs and symptoms that may occur at joints afflicted with osteoarthritis include the following:

• Joint pain and tenderness
• Stiffness, especially in the morning
• Loss of mobility and flexibility
• Crepitus--a crinkly sensation or a grating sound arising from movement of the joints
• Bone spurs--an outgrowth of tiny, bony slivers found along the edge of a bone