Acupuncture research update: Arthritis UK on acupuncture for gout

In recent research into acupuncture for gout, Arthritis UK report that researchers have identified that acupuncture is an effective treatment for the condition.

Researchers analysed the results of ten different randomized controlled trials including 852 patients.  The research team found that six studies containing 512 patients made a strong case for reduction in the levels of uric acid in those patients who received acupuncture, and four studies comprising 380 patients also suggested a decline in the visual symptoms of the condition. Two of the studies reviewed showed no significant difference of treatment, but on the whole the review favored acupuncture with the lead researcher Won Bok Lee noting “The results of the studies included here suggest that acupuncture is efficacious as complementary therapy for gouty arthritis patients”. 

Gout is a condition of acute inflammatory arthritis in which uric acid levels rise in the blood and crystallize. Very often the condition affects the big toe in the foot but the condition can also manifest as kidney stones or urate nephropathy. The condition is marked by acute, intense pain and affects around 1.4% of the UK population, the prevalence of which increases with age to around 3% in women and 7% in men aged over 75 years.

As well as The Arthritis UK page on acupuncture for gout which you can find here, patients curious about how acupuncture can help may also be interested in The British Acupuncture Council’s fact sheet detailing previous evidence of acupuncture in the treatment of the condition. You can find The British Acupuncture Council’s page here:

http://www.acupuncture.org.uk/a-to-z-of-conditions/a-to-z-of-conditions/gout.html

This systematic review is an additional piece of research which has been published in recent months suggesting acupuncture offers benefit for a number of arthritic conditions. Arthritis UK’s new report on complementary therapies showed recently acupuncture’s effect on low back pain, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, all of which indicate acupuncture is a safe, effective treatment that may help patients with common chronic pain conditions better manage their health.

If you’re interested in either acupuncture in milton keynes or Berkhamsted please feel free to contact me on 07717 515 013 with any questions you might have.