Can Acupressure Relieve Your Gout Attack?

                

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Exercise is excellent at preventing gout, but it isn?t the best treatment when it comes to easing a gout attack. However, this doesn?t mean that you need to turn to medication to ease your pain and discomfort. There are plenty of alternative and complimentary remedies out there you may want to try first. One such alternative or complimentary therapy is acupressure.

What is acupressure? Acupressure, also known as a Shiatsu massage, is an ancient form of Chinese medicine that is based on the same principles as acupuncture. Essentially, the belief is that the body has approximately 2000 trigger points that are linked throughout the body via 20 different meridians. Qi (life energy) flows throughout the meridians between the surface of the body and its internal organs. Qi uniquely affects all of the trigger points it flows through bringing balance to both the mind and body.

When the body suffers injury or illness, qi becomes unbalanced. Thus by performing acupressure on the particular points of the body related to the affected area, these points can be used to direct the nervous system to release muscular tension and increase blood flow to the injured parts. In other words, balance is restored.

The main difference between, acupuncture and acupressure is the application. Acupuncture uses needles, while acupressure primarily uses fingers or thumbs to apply pressure to the trigger points to encourage circulation and self-healing in the body.

What are the benefits of acupressure for gout sufferers? Acupressure provides many gout sufferers with relief from pain, resulting from inflammation of gout-infected joints. Acupressure can also:
- Increase circulation
- Reduce tension
- Relieves stress
- Enables the body to achieve deep relaxation
- Maintain health

How to perform acupressure ? Acupressure is performed by applying gentle, but firm pressure to a specific trigger point with the finger, thumb or knuckle. Pressure is usually applied for 15 ? 30 seconds. You will know when the trigger point has been found as you will feel a sharp jolt, immediately followed by a tingling or numbing sensation. This sensitivity is normal, and usually decreases over time. When pressure is released, there is often immediate pain relief.

Although acupressure is a treatment that requires no equipment, oils, etc. to work, it is important that you know how to properly perform acupressure before applying it to yourself or others. There are plenty of online resources and self-help guides that can educate and teach you how to perform acupressure, but it is recommended that you seek treatment and instruction from a qualified and experienced acupressure therapist before engaging in acupressure on your own.

For instance, even though a diagram can show you every acupressure trigger point on the body, not all points can help you achieve relief from gout pain and discomfort. Every illness has its own specific trigger points that need to be targeted based on the ailment and the area of the body where one is experiencing symptoms.

For example, if you were to visit http://magnecare.co.uk, you would find a diagram of acupressure points and discover that the recommended trigger points to relieve gout pain are -
41 ?Located just above the inside ankle
63 ?Located on the lower back near the spine
65 ? Located in the middle of the buttock
66 ? Located on the backside of your hip
67 ? Located directly behind your knee
68 - Located in the middle of your calf

However, depending on where you are experiencing gout pain, not all of these trigger points need to be addressed.

To find a local qualified acupressure therapist, ask your doctor, a physiotherapist, the local hospital, or check the yellow pages. You can also search online by using your city name and ?acupressure therapist? as the keyword search.

Remember, if you want effective pain relief from a gout attack, acupressure must be performed properly.

By Lisa McDowell. Sign up for a free newsletter & discover the cause of gout treatments. You'll find out about both traditional and gout home treatment.

 

Gout Treatments to Get Rid of That Ouch!

                

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A large number of people in all parts of the world suffer from a common form of arthritis known as gout. In the United Kingdom alone, an estimated 600,000 people are afflicted with this painful disease. Fortunately, there are many gout treatments that are available. Choosing the right one would depend on the patient's specific condition; whether he is suffering from acute or chronic gout. A physician may prescribe medication to treat a sudden attack or to manage the condition in the long-term. The goal of gout treatments is fast pain relief and of course, the prevention of recurrence.

Gout occurs mostly in men who are 45 years and older. Typically, many sufferers are overweight and drink alcoholic beverages regularly. The disease can also occur in women (although in much smaller numbers) who are usually at the post-menopausal stage. Some of the historical figures who have suffered from gout include former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, England's King Henry VIII, and the poet Pablo Neruda. The disease usually affects only one joint at a time and largely affects the joint of the big toe, although it can also occur in the ankles, legs, knees, feet, wrists, elbows, and hands. The slightest bit of pressure on the afflicted joint can bring on intense and stabbing pain.

A person may develop gout if he has excessively high uric acid levels in his body, which are not flushed out. Little uric crystals resembling table salt will then form and lodge in the lining of joints and irritate and inflame them. Purines, a kind of chemical that is found in the body and in many kinds of food, play a major role in the elevation of uric acid levels; that's why nutritionists and physicians advise those suffering from gout to lessen their consumption of purine-rich foods, such as so-called organ meats (liver and kidneys), herring, anchovies, and beans. Also, patients should refrain from drinking alcohol, since alcohol can hinder the body's elimination of uric acid.

For rapid pain relief and reduced swelling, doctors will usually prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as indomethacin or naproxen. Patients with a greater severity of pain might benefit from steroid drugs like prednisone. These medications, and others such as colchicine, are used to relieve pain and swelling, but they do nothing to lower the body's uric acid levels. For long-term prevention of attacks, a physician will prescribe other types of medication. These may include allopurinol, probenecid, and sulfinpyrazone. In many cases, a patient may take a combination of these drugs both to treat sudden flare-ups and for preventive purposes.

There are also a number of gout treatments that make use of the principles of natural or herbal medicine. Many dietary supplements that contain natural ingredients are recommended to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. For instance, turmeric, ginger, and bromelain have strong anti-inflammatory properties. The bark of phellodendron also has similar properties, but it should not be taken internally -- it is applied directly to the skin above the inflamed joint. Dietary supplements that contain fish oils and other essential fatty acids are also recommended for gout sufferers, since they help bring down the body's uric acid levels.

Getting adequate intake of vitamins and minerals is important, but it seems that some vitamins and minerals are more effective than others in providing pain relief and preventing the recurrence of gout. Research shows that vitamin C can help the body get rid of excess uric acid faster, while folic acid can lower the body's uric acid levels. Vitamin E, on the other hand, helps inhibit leukotrienes, which can increase inflammation and promote tissue damage.

Some treatments can seem unusual at first glance, but many swear that they work. For instance, anecdotal evidence suggests that eating about half a pound of cherries a day or drinking lots of cherry juice can significantly reduce pain and swelling. Another home remedy involves the use of a charcoal poultice; it's believed that charcoal draws certain chemicals from the afflicted joint, thus reducing pain and swelling. Then there are those who recommend that people suffering from gout should eat an apple after every meal, drink diluted lime juice three times a day, or drink string bean juice everyday for one month.

Some of these gout treatments may sound funny, while others have the full backing of the medical community behind them. Before you decide to embark on any treatment regimen, consult your physician, who will be best able to map out a plan to rid you of the pain of gout in the fastest and safest possible manner.

Rheumatiq.com provides you with information on rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis help, the symptoms, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, causes of gout, and gout treatments. We help battle your pain. http://www.rheumatiq.com