Is Acupuncture an Effective Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)?

My husband has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and was prescribed Arava, which we cannot afford. He has been seeing a Chinese acupuncture doctor and had three treatments so far. After the first treatment he had lost the pain in his right knee and the pain in his right arm was reduced. He has lost almost all the pain in his fingers and the morning stiffness is gone. We are very hopeful with these treatments so far. Have you heard of acupuncture being an effective treatment for RA?

Answer: Acupuncture can be effective in controlling all types of pain, including that caused by RA. However, some type of disease-modifying medication should also be employed. Unfortunately, some medications used for the treatment of RA are expensive but there are often less expensive alternatives. You should discuss this with your rheumatologist. Also, often drug companies have certain plans that will allow you to get their medications for free. Your rheumatologist often knows about these.