There are several kinds of osteoarthritis in Chinese medicine. they are differentiated by symptoms which indicates their character and determines the type of treatment is necessary.
Moving Bi (Wind Predominant) – Characterized by widespread pain in the joints which moves from one area to another and is usually accompanied by joint stiffness. There is often fever and chills and a rapid pulse.
Painful Bi (Cold Predominant) – Characterized by severe pain in one joint or area of the body which is worse when exposed to cold and relieved with warmth.
Fixed Bi (Damp Predominant) – Characterized by Localized pain which does not move. It is often accompanied by numbness, edema, and a feeling of heaviness of the body and limbs. Attacks are often triggered by cloudy or damp weather (change in barometric pressure).
Hot Bi (Heat Predominant) – This occurs when heat accompanies wind and damp, or when during the course of the disease the cold transforms into heat. This condition is characterized by joint pain with local redness, swelling and tenderness The flesh is hot to the touch There is often fever, rapid pulse, thirst, and/or constipation. This pattern is characteristic of a flareup of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Heart Blockage – If the disorder is prolonged, it may enter the internal organs and cause the blood to coagulate and result in circulatory disturbances. This is characterized by an uncomfortable and congested feeling in the chest, palpitations, asthmatic panting and irritability.
From a Western perspective, osteoarthritis is caused by a combination of factors that lead to inflammation and then to degeneration. According to the NIH, risk factors include age, female gender, obesity, anatomical factors, muscle weakness, and joint injury (occupation/sports activities) Also trauma or injury can be predisposing factors. These can then cause inflammation in the joint or surrounding tissues. The inflammation, if not treated adequately, can then cause polarization of nearby tissues of the joint which then leads to a degenerative condition. It is important, therefore, to treat the inflammation adequately. This can be done with acupuncture or electro-acupuncture. Once degeneration has begun, acupuncture and Earthing are the best treatments to slow or stop the degenerative process. Both inflammation and degeneration are electric charge related problems. Using the proper techniques (needling and electro-acupuncture) which I have developed, can successfully treat this condition. My treatments can stop the progression of the disease. Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM, which I also do) can both help speed up the improvement and help heal the damage that has already occurred.
FSM works by different mechanisms than acupuncture or electro-acupuncture, so they are quite complementary. The “microcurrent” part of FSM causes an increase of production of ATP in the mitochondria of cells which is the molecule the cell uses for energy. Thus, helping the cell do whatever function is required of it, from repair, cell division, production and secretion of substances, etc. In remote treatments, since there is no current produced in the tissues, I accomplish this by the use of frequencies that increase the secretions of the mitochondria. Not as effective as an in-person treatment, but it does make remote treatments work better. The frequencies are selected in pairs for the tissue(s) involved and the condition the tissue is suffering from. So, a treatment is like a computer program with lines of code for each pair of frequencies. All pairs are somewhat time-dependent, some more than others. The frequencies for most tissues and conditions have been found so the results depend on the practitioner’s proper diagnosis and design of the treatment. My experience with this technology has mostly been positive. I have successfully used treatment protocols developed by others and ones I developed.
Once I have determined where the patient is in disease progression, I then proceed with the appropriate treatment. If they are in the inflammatory stage, I use a treatment much like the treatment I use for rheumatoid arthritis (which is mainly inflammatory in nature). In this case, the inflammation is usually caused by traumas and not bad reactions of the immune system. Although trauma can cause an immune response. Since inflammation usually causes pain, I usually focus on the most tender points with my anti-inflammation electro-acupuncture (AIEAC). The less tender points I will needle more shallowly than normal to get an anti-inflammation response.
For the degenerative phase, I just needle the tender points. The electrons from the skin then go through the needle (and even through the hole after the needle is removed) and collect under the skin. From there they are attracted to the positive charge of the degeneration where they neutralize the positive charge and slow or stop the degeneration (depending on how many electrons are supplied).
Some relief is usually obtained with the first treatment. If it is inflammation I am treating, additional improvement will come two or three hours later as the inflammation goes down. I usually start at twice a week and stretch out treatment as results dictate.