Arthritis affects more than seven million people in the UK and is the second most common cause of time off work for both men and women. But many sufferers are finding relief through an ancient Chinese therapy as Pauline Holt reports.
 Damp autumn days used to spell misery for Liz Smith because they signalled the worsening of aches and pains brought on by arthritis and sciatica. For years Liz - who was in her early thirties when her symptoms first became severe - tried every conventional therapy the NHS had to offer. "I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in my knees and was on six-monthly steroid injections," Liz explains. "But then I started getting sciatica as well which felt like a constant ache beginning in my lower back and travelling down my leg to my right knee. My GP gave me pain killers and I had physiotherapy but nothing seemed to work. "That's when a friend suggested I try acupuncture. At first I was really sceptical about it but I decided to give it a shot, even though I was needle phobic." Three years on and Liz, from Northumberland, is amazed at the difference the ancient Chinese therapy has made to her wellbeing. Within six months of being treated by Newcastle-based acu puncturist John Corrigan, she was signed off by the hospital and hasn't had to have a steroid injection since. In fact she has dispensed with all medication and has regular acupuncture instead. "I wouldn't say it's got rid of my conditions entirely. If I haven't been for a few weeks I do get aches although they are not as pronounced and I am not so aware of the pain as I was. It's not a cure but I do think it eases the discomfort." Liz is among a growing number of arthritis sufferers who have found benefit from going under the needle. Yet the therapy is still not widely available on the NHS and Liz, like most people, has to pay for her treatment. But a new study unveiled earlier this week may help the cause of sufferers hoping to get funding for acupuncture in the future. Sufferers given the traditional Chinese therapy for just three months saw a significant reduction in symptoms such as stiffness and pain. Chinese people have used acupuncture for thousands of years and it is based on the belief that energy moves in a smooth, balanced way through the body. This energy is made up of equal and opposite qualities - Yin and Yang - and when these become unbalanced, illness can result. Inserting fine needles into these channels of energy is believed to restore the natural balance and stimulate the body's own healing response. This latest, German study, which was published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism, looked at 3553 patients who all had osteoarthritis in the knee or hip. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory type, are the two most common forms of the condition. In osteoarthritis the joints become damaged and the surrounding bones thicken. It emerged those who had received acupuncture suffered less pain and stiffness and were enjoying a better quality of life. The researchers, led by Dr Claudia Witt said: "Patients with chronic osteoarthritis of the knee or the hip who were treated with acupuncture in addition to routine care showed significant improvements in symptoms and quality of life compared with patients who received routine care alone." The team concluded: "In patients with chronic pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee or hip who were receiving routine primary care, addition of acupuncture to the treatment regimen resulted in a clinically relevant and persistent benefit." The British Acupuncture Council can provide information and send out details of qualified traditional acupuncturists in your area.
Telephone 020-8735 0400 or see the website: www.acupuncture.org.uk
Acupuncturist John Corrigan can be contacted on 0191-281 9200.
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