Knee Osteoarthritis is Curable
Today, millions of people are affected and suffered from knee osteoarthritis. It is a degenerative joint disease that is considered as one of the most common causes of disability. According to western medicine, there is still no cure treatment for knee osteoarthritis. At present, only supportive and symptomatic treatment for pain reduction and improvement of joint function are recommended. However, these pharmacological treatments were reported to associate with significant side effects.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the precise etiology, parthenogenesis and treatment methods for knee osteoarthritis were clearly stated in details dated back before the period of “Huangdi Neijing” (475-221 BC), also known as “The Inner Classic of the Yellow Emperor”. In the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, our ancestors had already accumulated a lot of valuable clinical experiences. Although TCM has many effective methods, but using single method will make the role more restricted, as what had mentioned in the book called 《The Fundamental Medicine》 (1624): “When decocted soup and acupuncture are tested and become ineffective, moxibustion must be applied”. In our clinical experience, we have found it more appropriate to treat knee osteoarthritis patients with comprehensive TCM methods in order to achieve the best therapeutic result that could bring back mobility for those paralytic patients who suffer from severe rheumatic arthritis.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is known as the “Quintessence of Chinese Culture” with a long history of more than 5,000 years. It is a cultural heritage that has been handed down from generation to generation that are supported and proven by unearthed artifacts and medical documentations of more than 3,000 years, couple with modern scientific research findings done in hospitals and research institutes of recent years. It is not just an inch or an edge advantage over other methods and applications in terms of effectiveness and convenience. Furthermore, considering the degree of seriousness of the diseases it could cure, it is generally economical. The significant truths are, it is safe with proper management and will not cause toxic side effect if applied with adequate knowledge nor will toxic be accumulated little by little over a period of time. It cures not just the symptoms, but treats acute and chronic diseases radically.
In November 2008, a study was conducted and reported by Shanghai Ruijin Hospital to perform hand manipulating techniques or known as “Tuina” on patients with knee osteoarthritis. The treatment frequency was once a week for a year, then observe and assess the effect on knee cartilaginous recovery by using magnetic resonance (MR) every three months before and after treatment. Study had found out the maximum defect diameter of knee cartilage began to diminish and start to recover at 3 months after treatments and grew significantly after 6 months treatments, then had grew 58 percent 12 months after treatments.
In October, 2009, Shanghai Changhai Hospital had conducted and published a clinical study in investigating the significant clinical effects of using traditional moxibustion to treat 30 patients with knee osteoarthritis and to detect the changes of hyaluronic acid level in serum and synovial fluid before and after treatments. Treatment time was 10 minutes once a day, 5 times a week for 3 months. After treatments, 19 patients out of the 30 patients were cured (63.3%), whereas after treatment, both the hyaluronic acid (HA) level in serum lowered and synovial fluid (SF) level increased which had changed toward normal range. Before treatment, HA level in serum (122.87 +/- 34.10 microg/L) was higher and in SF (0.98 +/- 0.17 g/L) was lower in knee osteoarthritis patients than those in the normal controls (68.32 +/- 21.48 microg/L and 1.62 +/- 0.30 g/L, P<0.01), whereas after treatment, both the HA level in serum and SF level in patients changed toward normal range (70.29 +/- 27.30 microg/L and 1.58 +/- 0.26 g/L), showing insignificant difference as compared with those in the controls (P<0.01). Out of the 30 patients, 8 patients (26.7%) were evaluated as markedly effective and 3 patients (10%) as effective.
Actually, knee osteoarthritis is not difficult to treat and it is curable if seeks proper treatments immediately. We have already accumulated a lot of clinical experience with so many successful cases in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, which have brought back mobility for those paralytic patients who suffered from severe rheumatic arthritis. Severe cases are often due to delay and had gone through wrong treatment process causing further damages to the knee. If treated early with correct methods by practitioners who have the full capability, the chance to achieve full recovery is definitely possible.
