Arthritis Pain: Five Factors Chinese Medicine Addresses For Relief

Whether it is because of concerns about side-effects or because one's current medication regime isn't working as well as it used to, individuals suffering from arthritis pain can turn to Chinese medicine for reliable and time-tested answers. Chinese medicine is a holistic medicine. The criteria for holism varies from case to case, but below are five significant factors that will be addressed through a Chinese medical approach to arthritis.

Factor 1: Blood Flow

The microvasculature, or tiny blood vessels, is commonly stagnant in arthritis cases. Many researchers believe that acupuncture is effective in minimizing pain because it increases blood flow in the microvasculature. An adage from the Chinese medical classics states "Where there is pain, there is stagnation." One of the primary causes of any pathology in Chinese medicine is stagnant blood flow. Blood flow can slow either due to sluggish blood quality or the accumulation of phlegm.

Factor 2: Blood Quality

Arthritis is an auto-immune condition. This means that the immune response is constantly receiving messages that are telling it to attack the joints of the body, in the case of arthritis. These messages go by varying names, immune factors, cytokines, inflammatory markers.

Chinese herbs can down-regulate the immune system by removing factors from the blood that excite the immune response. Herbs that fall within the category of blood tonics perform this function, loading the body with vital nutrients targeted to the body's circulatory system.

Factor 3: Breath

The classics state "blood is the mother of qi and qi the commander of blood." If the qi is weak, blood cannot be commanded to flow freely. What is qi? In this context it is the breath and specifically lung function. The heart pumps the blood, but if the lungs are weak the heart will have little strength to pump the blood efficiently.

Qigong is a gentle form of movement and breathing exercises that works on increasing qi capacity. Qigong, literally means, qi work. There are numerous forms of qigong, just like its more popular variations Taiji, more commonly Taichi, and Gongfu, aka Kung-fu. All of these martial arts work the qi, emphasizing different aspects of development, strength, stamina, flexibility, and often drawing inspiration from nature to articulate the forms: preying mantis, crane, clouds. Although breath enhancement is a principle reward, the combination of learning synchronized movement with the breath also benefits the neurological, digestive, and other systems of the body. When the qi of all the systems is enhanced then the immune system too is regulated, slowing the growth of and reducing accumulations around the joints.

Factor 4: Fluid and Digestive Metabolism

Imbalance in fluid metabolism, implicating lymphatic, muscular, and respiratory systems, can cause the swelling of joints. There is a category of herbs that specifically targets the draining of excess fluids. The level at which such actions catalyze is within the lymphatic, muscular and respiratory systems.

Certain herbs, qigong, and acupuncture improve digestive function, the hypo-function of which plays an important role in fluid excess. Fluid congestion characterizes aspects of arthritis. This is often called "phlegm" or "dampness" in Chinese medicine. Improving system function will rectify fluid congestion because such a problem is the result of functional impairment. Basically by working specifically on fluids and the source of fluid metabolism dysfunction, Chinese medicine addresses both the symptoms and the cause of arthritis.

Factor 5: Diet

Last but certainly not least is diet. Nothing can go toward addressing chronic conditions like arthritis in a more dramatic way over time than changing one's diet. An effective approach to diet modification is a process, whereby one learns as much about what to include as what to avoid based on one's individual constitution.

Constitutional medicine is a distinguishing aspect of Chinese medicine. It takes into account each individual's body type to allow dietary recommendations to be specific. Food, like herbs, have properties that produce predictable effects in the body. Th classics express a sentiment identical to Hippocrates, "Let food be thy medicine." Chinese medical theory actually provides a framework for understanding how foods work as medicine based on your constitution.

Conclusion

Blood flow and quality, breath, fluid metabolism, and diet are five aspects of a Chinese medical approach to holistically addressing the chronic condition of arthritis. Herbs, acupuncture, qigong, and dietary collaboration are tools applies in restoring balance naturally.