Acupuncture for Arthritis

Arthritis can turn everyday things like walking, gardening or opening a jar into a struggle. In clinical trials involving thousands of people, acupuncture has eased osteoarthritis pain and stiffness, with benefits that lasted months after a course of treatment. Our practitioners have been treating pain in London for 25 years.

Book an initial consultation or call 0207 935 2030 for a free 15-minute chat.

What causes arthritis?

Osteoarthritis is the most common type. The cartilage that cushions a joint thins over time, so the joint becomes painful, stiff and less mobile. It most often affects the knees, hips, hands and lower back, and usually develops gradually after 45.

Inflammatory types such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are caused by the immune system attacking the joints and need specialist care. If a joint is suddenly hot, red and very swollen, or several joints flare at once with morning stiffness lasting over an hour, see your GP first. For knee problems, read our knee pain page.

How acupuncture can help

For osteoarthritis, acupuncture can reduce pain and stiffness and make it easier to stay active. It works best as part of a wider plan with exercise and weight management, and many patients find it helps them keep moving enough to stick with that plan.

If you have inflammatory arthritis, we work alongside your rheumatologist. Acupuncture does not replace your medication, but some patients use it to help manage the aches, stiffness and fatigue that remain. We’ll tell you honestly if we think another approach would suit you better.

Researchers think acupuncture works partly by changing how nerves and the brain process pain signals, including the release of the body’s own pain-relieving chemicals. The exact mechanisms are still being studied.

What the research shows

  • Vickers et al., 2018 (Journal of Pain) — the largest analysis to date, combining raw data from 39 trials and 20,827 patients. Acupuncture outperformed both sham and no acupuncture for osteoarthritis pain, and the effects persisted over time.
  • Berman et al., 2004 (Annals of Internal Medicine) — 570 people with knee osteoarthritis. Acupuncture added to usual care improved pain and function more than sham acupuncture or education over 26 weeks.
  • Tu et al., 2021 (Arthritis & Rheumatology) — 480 people with knee osteoarthritis. Electroacupuncture reduced pain and improved function compared with sham at 8 weeks, and the benefit lasted to 26 weeks.

Most trials have studied the knee, and evidence for other joints is more limited. Results vary between people, and acupuncture is not a replacement for medical assessment.

What to expect

Your first appointment lasts an hour. We take a full history, look at any scans, blood tests or letters from your consultant, and agree a plan with you. Treatment uses very fine, single-use needles around the affected joints and elsewhere, left in for 15 to 20 minutes. Where suitable we may add electro-acupuncture, cupping or a heat lamp to warm stiff joints. Herbal medicine can also be discussed which can often be useful when the pain is more widespread and not isolated to single joints.

Most people start with weekly sessions and we review progress together after four to six. Initial consultations start from £80; see clinics and fees for details.

Why The London Acupuncture Clinic

  • 25 years treating patients in London
  • Degree-qualified practitioners who work alongside GPs and consultants, with close links to physiotherapists and chiropractors
  • Open seven days a week, with early-morning and evening appointments
  • Receipts for insurance claims on request

What our patients say

“I have been seen at Wimpole Street clinic for the last 6 weeks for treatment of painful arthritis in my hands. The results have been immediate and my hands are now almost pain free and the joints are much more mobile.” — A.S., Google review

Yes — there’s substantial, high-quality trial evidence, including a large individual patient data meta-analysis of over 20,000 patients that found acupuncture more effective than both sham treatment and no treatment for osteoarthritis pain specifically.

Osteoarthritis is a “wear and tear” joint condition, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition causing inflammation, often with hot, swollen joints — what Chinese medicine describes as a “Hot Bi” pattern. Treatment approaches differ accordingly. For rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis specifically, acupuncture is used to support pain and symptom management alongside your rheumatologist’s disease-modifying treatment, not as a replacement for it.

No, and we wouldn’t want to tell you otherwise — arthritis generally isn’t a condition that’s cured, but one that’s managed. What we aim for is genuine, meaningful pain relief and improved function, so you can continue your daily life as you want to live it.

Most people have a course of six to eight weekly sessions, reviewed after the first four. Some then continue with occasional top-up sessions to stay on top of flare-ups.

Most patients say the needles are completely painless, using extremely fine, single-use needles about the width of a human hair. A small percentage notice a brief pressure sensation as the needle contacts the skin, which usually fades within minutes. Many clients find acupuncture a relaxing experience

Acupuncture fits alongside painkillers, disease-modifying drugs, steroid injections and physiotherapy. Tell us what you take, and if you’re waiting for joint replacement surgery, we’ll plan around your dates. With herbal medicine, this can be discussed at a consultation as a more personalised answer is required.

Related: Knee pain · Back pain · Indeterminate aches and pains · Pain relief

Written by The London Acupuncture Clinic’s practitioner team.