Acupuncture for Knee Pain
You may be wondering, can acupuncture help with my knee pain?
And the answer is, YES. Knee pain can have any number of root causes. Whether that pain stems from arthritis, meniscus injury, ACL (anterior collateral ligament) injury, MCL (medial collateral ligament) injury, Baker's cyst, overuse, or inflammation, acupuncture is a fabulous go-to treatment.
Acupuncture helps by bringing circulation of fresh, healthy blood to the site of injury or discomfort. It flushes out stagnant blood and fluids so that the area is inundated with new, healthy blood and fluids. This fresh blood delivers oxygen, nutrients and growth factors necessary for regenerating damaged muscle and tissue.
One of the other ways acupuncture works is through the nervous system. It helps retrain both the central and peripheral systems out of holding patterns that cause pain. It is sown to increase the body’s release of endorphins, its natural pain relievers.
The knee joint is a complex and important structure including several ligaments that cross between the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone). It is cushioned by the two menisci which are small, moon-shaped pieces of cartilage attached to the tibia. These reduce compression of the bones upon impact from running, walking, or jumping.
Ligaments and tendons tend to heal slowly because they lack a substantial blood supply. In fact, the ACL and MCL are the most commonly injured ligaments in the entire body. Since acupuncture increases blood flow, it is a key tool to support tissue healing.
This image shows the acupuncture points that surround the knee joint.
As you can see, there are many points around the kneecap, inner and outer lines, above and below. Not pictured here is the Bladder channel which goes down the center of the back of the knee and is useful for swellings in the popliteal fossa (the back of the knee).
All of these lines follow nerve and circulatory pathways, therefore increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation.
When treating knee pain, I always use points both above and below the knee to stimulate the muscles that connect into the joint itself.
Often, people grit and bear mild to severe knee pain when great options for support exist that don’t involve invasive medical treatments. I have truly seen remarkable results helping people avoid surgeries and painful injections simply by using regular acupuncture care.
