BALTIMORE -- About one-third of adults over age 50 have osteoarthritis -- a condition where bones and joints become achy and painful. While treatments are available, they don't always alleviate the pain. Now an ancient treatment offers an alternative to modern-day arthritis care.

Joy Berman has osteoarthritis, which has made even walking difficult.

"I was getting more uncomfortable and more difficult walking up and down the stairs, and so I wanted to try something and see if it would help me," she said.

She turned to acupuncturist Lixing Lao to ease the pain in her knees.

"According to Chinese medical theory, acupuncture balances the energy in the body," said Lao, of University of Maryland in Baltimore.

According to a recent study, it also decreases pain from osteoarthritis. Dr. Marc Hochberg said it could help patients who don't respond to standard treatments.

"I think it gives patients another avenue for treatment," says Hochberg, a rheumatologist at the University of Maryland.

That avenue could be the right path for many.

"They may indeed notice an improvement in their symptoms and improvement in their functional capacity, and that's really what we want out of the treatment," Hochberg said.

The study showed more than 70 percent of patients had a 50 percent improvement in their pain.

"We had very remarkable improvement in terms of pain, stiffness, function, and change. Quite remarkable compared to the non-treatment patients," Lao said.

In traditional acupuncture, needles are manipulated by hand to elicit a response. Now, doctors use electrical stimulation to enhance the effectiveness of the treatment.

"I have less pain," Berman said. "I don't have that much pain when I'm walking. Sometimes I feel almost normal."

Patients like her keep Lao inspired.

"My favorite part is that the patient come back, say 'I feel better.' This make me very happy," Lao said.

Lao said acupuncture can boost the immune system and decrease inflammation. It is meant to be used in combination with standard treatments and not in place of them.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Brian Berman, M.D.
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Kernan Hospital
2200 Kernan Dr.
Baltimore, MD 21207
(410) 448-6871
bberman@compmed.umm.edu

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