How Acupuncture Can Help Those With Lupus

Though it is notoriously very difficult to properly diagnose, over 1.5 million people in the United States suffer from lupus, an auto-immune disorder which causes the body’s immune system to attack normal, healthy tissue. The result? Unpredictable bouts of painful Inflammation, swelling, and eventual causing of damage to the joints, skin, kidneys, blood, heart, and lungs.

Lupus predominantly occurs in women, and mostly women of color—unfortunately, it is a disorder that many people don’t know that they have. And when they do have it, treatment options are limited to improving quality of life through managing symptoms, pain and discomfort.

“"Awareness of lupus in Chinese medicine goes back at least to the Qing Dynasty, according to traditional texts,” according to Pacific College. “The knowledge gained during that period points to a blood-based heat toxin that, when aggravated by summertime heat or sunlight, results in the distinctive red patches associated with the disease.”

Acupuncture does not cure lupus, but we do know that acupuncture addresses the root causes of disease and disorder in the body by balancing the body’s yin and yang. That makes acupuncture, along with herbal treatments, a uniquely effective treatment for the many problems caused by lupus.

Due to the yin-yang imbalance, sufferers of lupus experience everything from aches, intolerance to cold temperatures, loss of appetite, swelling, pain in the joints, and numbness in the arms and legs. Acupuncture and herbal treatments can be specifically tailored to restoring the ying-yang balance, helping specifically with those various symptoms.

Nearly 1 in 250 people have or will develop lupus in their lifetimes. If you or someone you know suffers fro m this frustrating and elusive disorder, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medical treatments might be just what you need to start restoring quality of life.

How Acupuncture Can Help Lupus Patients

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a form of the autoimmune disease also known as Lupus.

A difficult and often frustrating autoimmune disease, Lupus affects nearly 1.5 million people across the US with symptoms including inflammation, pain and tissue damage.

Patients are often willing to try anything to combat their symptoms and restore their immune systems. Thankfully, acupuncture can play a significant role in their efforts.

A recent article by Very Well explains how the ancient art of acupuncture just might help a Lupus patient.

It’s long been believed (and proven) that acupuncture can help reduce inflammation and pain by improving circulation and the proper flow of qi, and this can be especially importnat for someone with a Lupus diagnosis.

In fact, the 2008 study entitled 'Acupuncture for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A pilot study RCT feasibility and safety study' published in Sage Journals examined the role of acupuncture as a means of pain treatment within the Lupus population.

Twenty four patients with the SLE manifestation of Lupus were given either standard acupuncture treatment, acupuncture treatments performed with less needles, or to remain on their existing treatment plan without treatment.

The results?

“At the end of the trial, 40% of the patients in both the standard acupuncture treatment group and the minimal needling group experienced an improvement in their pain levels of at least 30%.”

Interestingly but perhaps unsurprisingly, “the group that remained on their usual care plan reported no improvement in their pain levels.”

Ultimately, “the study concluded that acupuncture is a valid, safe and effective method to treat pain in patients with SLE.”

If you hare struggling with a lupus diagnosis and the pain, inflammation and malaise that can typically come with it — you’re not alone. Let NJ Acupuncture Center help.