“You’re young one day, then one day you wake up and you can feel when the rain is going to come in your knees.”
Feeling weather changes in your knees is a common occurrence…but what does that mean and why does it happen?
Chronic knee pain which worsens when the weather changes is described as “Damp Bi Syndrome” in Traditional Chinese Medicine. “Bi” literally means obstruction and can be caused by one or a combination of an invasion of external wind, cold or dampness. When the body or a joint gets invaded by one of these external pathogenic factors, it causes stagnation to the body’s qi, blood and body fluids, eventually resulting in the accumulation of phlegm, stress, heat or pain in the effected area.
Acupuncture is highly effective at treating this condition; the act of inserting hair thin acupuncture needles into acupuncture points stimulates the qi to move where it has been previously blocked, while decreasing pain and reducing inflammation. Moxabustion or infared heat lamps are also highly beneficial at treating this condition, as they warm the sinews and invigorate the channels.
If you have knee pain that:
Changes with the weather, such as cold or rain.
Gets worse with overuse, like long walks or standing for long periods.
Prevents you from climbing stairs comfortably kneeling in your garden.
Is an old injury that never really went away…
Try Acupuncture!
For chronic knee pain I recommend coming in once a week for 6-8 weeks, then we can space out treatments a bit, to see if you can go 2-3 weeks or months and still maintain results.
If you have any questions about knee pain, feel free to reach out or schedule a free consultation. Schedule online or text/call 805-350-5800.
In Gratitude,
Dr. Michelle Hamilton