Can Acupuncture Relieve Your Arthritis Pain?

Nearly 70 percent of adults over age 50 use some kind of alternative medicine, and for many, that alternative medicine is acupuncture. The practice of inserting thin needles into specific body points to improve health and well-being originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. Today, acupuncture is an accepted pain-treatment option for many people with arthritis, even though the evidence of its effectiveness is largely "anecdotal," says Santhosh A. Thomas, DO, MBA, a staff member of Cleveland Clinics Center for Spine Health.