Acupuncture Treatment for Knee Pain

Our knees carry the body’s entire weight and are required to move us while walking, running, climbing, descending and changing directions. Knee pains are a common problem. Conventional medicine treatment oscillates between a conservative treatment of medications and more radical treatments of various surgeries. Knee problems can appear in knee injury among young, active people or in multiple forms of wear and degeneration in the older age groups. This article will present natural ways for treating knee pain naturally. If you are limited in movement or suffer from knee pains, this article is meant for you to help you find the best natural treatment.

Understanding Knee Pain

The knee is a joint that needs to carry massive loads. The knees have nearly the entire body weight, especially in height changes like ascending or descending stairs or sudden changes of directions like in a basketball game. There are areas in the knee that tend to suffer more from inflammation and knee pains. In terms of its anatomic location, the knee connects the two calf bones (Tibia and Fibula) and the thigh bone (Femur).
Another small bone in the knee is the kneecap or patella. It protects the knee and connects the muscles in the front of the thigh to the tibia. We will discuss the knees’ main areas that create pain: The knee meniscus and the knee ligaments and tendons.

The Knee Meniscus

For the knee bones to not rub against each other, there is a cartilaginous structure between the bones that are called meniscus. The function of the meniscus is to curb the shocks that the knee absorbs. Acute knee trauma or  “excessive use can create a meniscus tear. The knee has two meniscuses, one medial- (spanning the knee joint medially) and one lateral (spanning the lateral side of the interior of the knee joint).

The Knee Ligaments

In the knee, some ligaments have the function of holding the joint in place. Two collateral ligaments can prevent the knee bones’ movement to the right and left, such as in changing directions while running. Cruciate ligaments are two ligaments inside the joint, which connect the front and back of the knee crosswise, and their function is to prevent a forward or backward movement of the knee bones. Intense pressure on the knee can create a ligament tear or damage to the knee ligaments. In such a case, we will see movement or dislocation of the knee joint that will usually lead to inflammation and pain.

The Knee Tendons are fibrous structures that connect the knee muscles to the bones. The knee tendons can also be injured, overused or tear. The main tendons to consider are the quadriceps and patellar tendons.

Knee Wear and Tear

Knee pathology is divided into those resulting from trauma, such as a basketball game injury or those resulting from wear and old age. Often it will be called arthritis of the knee, degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis of the knee.
Often there will not be a defined diagnosis, and the doctor may settle for a generalized knee injury because the damage can be in various locations in the knee. The medical treatment will be similar in many cases and will include anti-inflammatory painkillers.

Alternative Medicine for Knee Pain

Many people are looking for a natural treatment for knee pains when the drug treatment of anti-inflammatories or injections are unsuccessful, and surgery is not the desired option. Over 100,000 Americans die each year because of prescription drugs, and living on painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, or steroids is not healthy.
Natural medicine is effective in treating knee injury or the degenerative process in the knee. It can also be useful us a recovery from surgery.

 

Acupuncture for treating knee pain

Acupuncture for knee pains and knee inflammation is done through acupuncture points that open the energetic blocks and bring back the knee joint’s harmonious flow. Acupuncture treatment for knee problems can help in many cases such as tendon tear, meniscus tear, knee ligament tear, wear and tear, arthritis, osteoarthritis, edemas, etc. There are cases where surgical intervention is required, such as a very big or complete tear in the ligament and ligament rehabilitation or an acute meniscus tear. Even in surgical intervention cases, it is recommended to combine acupuncture to accelerate the recovery after the surgery.

Balance Method Acupuncture for Knee Pain

Acupuncture is very effective in alleviating inflammation, and in most cases, pain relief already comes at the beginning of the treatment series. In the Balance Method of acupuncture for knee pain, we will use unique points located in hand to treat the knee. This allows the knee to move during the session, and the therapist can check for improvement. Sometimes during treatment, the patient will experience pain relief and a broader movement range.
For example, when a patient climbs a small stairway before the inserting, the needles might do so with great difficulty, but soon after having the needles inserted, he is likely to do it with much less pain.

In Balance Method acupuncture, we place the needles in points distal to the problem area. Acupuncture creates a better flow of blood and energy to the knee and makes access to the immune system and other body systems to rehabilitate the damaged tissues. Patients report a sense of flow when the needle is inserted; it is an experience that indicates the opening of an energetic block in the knee. In severe conditions, it is advisable to do a more frequent therapy, and the more there is an improvement in the condition, it is possible to reduce the frequency of the treatment.

Chinese Medicine Approach for Knee pain

The Chinese medicine therapist will aim to get to the source of why knee pain and inflammation developed.
According to Chinese medicine, the knees are associated with the kidneys. The kidneys are the reservoir of Yin and Yang – our innate and elemental energies. When these energies weaken, there will also be knee weakness and sensitivity. This explains the degenerative joint diseases of the knees, such as arthritis and osteoarthritis among older people.

When the knee inflammation is caused by incorrect action, like through a particular sport like tennis, basketball, running and more, we will often find a great deal of tension in the muscles and tendons across the whole body, which stands in the way of proper joint nourishment. In such a case, the acupuncturist will use points connected to the gall bladder and liver, which relax the muscles and tendons and nourish the joints. This helps recovery and also assists in preventing further injuries. Therefore, according to Chinese medicine, we will treat the kidneys for knee weakness, degeneration, and tendon and ligament problems. We will treat the liver and gall bladder.

Apart from treating the disease’s inner source, we also need to treat the disease’s expression by reducing the pain in the area and opening the energetic blocks in specific meridians. Through acupuncture, we are doing that helps the “stagnated” energy to flow in the body harmoniously. Often it is necessary to treat other areas in addition to the knee, for example, the thigh muscles and back muscles which affect the knee pains.

Another therapeutic method in Chinese medicine for knee pains is using medicinal herbs that help rehabilitate the ligaments and cartilages and reduce pain. Note that the medicinal herbs that the therapist gives are far more effective than the medicinal herbs bought in the pharmacies because they are more accurate and are given according to the therapist’s diagnosis. The Chinese medicine treatment for knee problems is very effective and helps relieve pain and rehabilitate the damaged tissues.

 

A Case Study: Treating Knee Pain with Acupuncture

Simon, 50 years old, is suffering from bilateral knee pains, which limited him in walking and climbing stairs. An orthopedist diagnosed Simon with Knee arthritis, a degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive wearing away of the knee joint. I asked Simon to climb a small stool, which caused him tremendous pain in both knees. Simon received a Balance Method of acupuncture treatment. The acupuncture focused on points in the arms while sitting, which enabled Simon to get up and see if there was any change in the knee.

Simon was asked to step onto the stool while the needles were still inserted into his hands. Carrying out this activity involved much pain before the session began, but in doing this task during the treatment, Simon reported a decrease in pain by over fifty percent. Simon came for acupuncture twice a week and, after a month, reported significant relief in pain and a considerable improvement in knee function.
He continued coming in for another five weeks for acupuncture treatment until he could hardly feel the knee pains anymore.

Read more about Balance Method Acupuncture.

Recall Healing for Chronic Knee Pain

In Recall Healing, we work on the subconscious emotional source that causes the creation of the knee pain. According to the Recall Healing method, every disease is connected to an emotional conflict in the person’s subconscious. Recall Healing for knee pains is done through conversation. A session lasts about an hour and a half, and it is usually taking between three to six sessions.

The emotional sources of knee pains can be many. The disease’s causes can be found in the person’s life cycles, during early childhood and sometimes in the genetic lineage. According to Recall Healing, the conflicts of inflammation or pain in any body joint will be different.
The knee joint is connected in many cases to the mother-children-birth relationship.

Apart from that, the knee will be linked to a sense of worthlessness that has to do with a physical activity that involves a movement on the knee. For instance, while climbing a staircase, a person experiences a particular emotion; It will be interpreted in the body as an emotion linked to the knee and will affect the knee. Getting into the correct details is essential, and there many possible conflicts. We must examine what is related to that person and how it connects to various life experiences, usually more than one.

Emotional Conflicts Related to the Knees

Any person can experience some of the conflicts mentioned here or others linked to knee pains without having knee problems. The disease is caused when the conflicts are too acute or long-lasting, and the person does not find a solution. When a person does not find a solution to the conflict, the brain suppresses the conflict into the subconscious and the body and creates an illness.

In a Recall Healing session, we raise anything unconscious into the awareness of the person. The conversation is accurately directed to the right places in the person’s subconscious and reaches the conflict sources that created the knee pains. When the subconscious’s conflict is talked about, the relief of the knee pains is, in many cases, fast.

Especially in chronic conditions where there is already more severe damage to the body’s balance, it is recommended to combine the Recall Healing with acupuncture or medicinal herbs. In chronic knee pains, sometimes it is necessary to reinforce the knee muscles that have not been active for a long time, which brings back stability to the joint. Although Recall Healing for knee pains is very effective, it is not for everyone. Recall Healing is for people who agree to touch-sensitive places and to talk about their past.

 

A Case Study: Addressing Knee Pain with Recall Healing

Andrew, 52 years old, came in with pain and inflammation in the right knee. He has been suffering from pain and diagnosed knee ligament injury and inflammation during the last two months. He took some anti-inflammatory medicine for a while, which helped reduce the pain but stopped because he didn’t want the drugs’ side effects.

Andrew plays basketball with several friends once a week. From our conversation, it turns out that the pain started a few days after a particular game. In that game, some of the regular members of the basketball team of the “fifty-year-old” did not show up, and they asked several young players to join them so that they had enough people. That changed the pace of the game. Suddenly it is necessary to run faster to defend, jump higher for the ball, and even feel like the throws reach you more powerfully was an excellent game. Andrew’s team won, and he scored more than usual. Andrew viewed that game as a positive experience.

He did not feel pains during the game and came out feeling “he has still got it.” I told Andrew that in Recall Healing, we work on the subconscious and not the conscious. In the subconscious, in the past few years, Andrew has experienced mild worthlessness because of a decrease in his physical abilities, his physical appearance and his self-image.

He admitted that this worthlessness peaked in that game because the game reflected on young people. Some team members joked about it, about their age and abilities, but Andrew secretly decided to “prove to them that he can.” And indeed, he could.
Andrew connected to the sense of worthlessness that subconsciously existed and understood that competitiveness is irrelevant to these games and that pleasure and physical fitness are the most important thing.

In the session, we talked about separate incidents in Andrew’s life that had to do with worthlessness and lack of self-acceptance and his need to prove himself. The knee inflammation improved a few days later, and Andrew reported a general feeling of relaxation. He started diverting his awareness to self-acceptance and accepting other people, which positively affected other aspects of his life, like the relationship with his family and the workplace.

Tui na for Knee Pain

Like acupuncture, Tuina (Chinese medicine massage) also works on the meridians and acupuncture points in the knee. The Tui na will usually be local on the knee, thigh and lower back. The Tui na is the Chinese physiotherapy method. Unlike Western physiotherapy or message, Tui na relates to the Chinese diagnosis and working along the meridians. It is recommended to combine Tui na with acupuncture, but a person who is afraid of needles can undoubtedly go through Tui na sessions for the knee instead of acupuncture.

Shiatsu is also suited for knee problems. Shiatsu treatment is slower and gentle; some Chinese medicine therapists prefer treating through Shiatsu, which is really a Japanese method but works according to Chinese medicine principles.

 

Reflexology for treating knees

The reflexology treatment mainly uses pressure points in the foot to treat the entire body. The reflexology treatment for knee pain is good for inflammation reduction and relaxation of muscles, ligaments and tendons. Reflexology treatment of the knee treats all body systems linked to the problem and helps bring harmony to the body. The treatment is relatively painless, and the significant advantage is that there is no need to touch the knee itself when there is a great deal of sensitivity.

Exercises for Knee Pain

There are some excellent exercises for knee pains that focus on reinforcing leg muscles, especially the quadriceps. Lease consult your therapist before doing these exercises.
– Sit on a table or high chair, straighten the knee and bend back to a sitting position. This is an exercise to strengthen the quadriceps.
– A similar exercise: from the same position, lift a straight leg and put it back down.
– With a straight leg, flex and relax the quadriceps without moving the leg. When done quite fast, the leg will look like it is shaking.

We hope this article helped you decide which direction to choose for treating knee pain naturally. We wish you a full recovery and that you may return to optimum health soon.