My fellow Du'ers, my sister, also a Senior, has very bad arthritis in her right foot. Also some fingers.

[raccoon]

I knew someone once who said acupuncture was very helpful for her arthritis.

Does the practitioner do the acupuncture on just the affected areas, or on the entire body?

If you've had it, how was your experience?

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Not a Senior

But I have Ankylosing Spondylitis.

My acupuncturist focuses on key points on the vagus nerve which greatly reduces how I perceive/experience the damage being done. It doesn't reverse it - it helps the pain. I get pins at the nape of my neck and belly area which helps with the pain at my toe joints.

Your sister will need a few sessions to reap the benefits, then plan on once a week at minimum.

[Quakerfriend]

2. The needles are generally put in all around the body.

I’ve had acupuncture done by three different people-
two were Chinese doctors and they were far better than the third who was a naturopath.

If she is afraid of needles, she could try acupressure instead.

[Faux pas]

3. I highly recommend acupuncture!

It helped my arthritic knees, thumbs and my whole body really. She should go for it

[OLDMDDEM]

4. Try tart cherry tablets. It worked for me.

[Ponietz]

5. Similarly, Ayurvedic Triphala is a super duper food supplement

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5567597

Results: In addition, numerous additional therapeutic uses described both in the Ayurvedic medical literature and anecdotally are being validated scientifically. In addition to laxative action, Triphala research has found the formula to be potentially effective for several clinical uses such as appetite stimulation, reduction of hyperacidity, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, antibacterial, antimutagenic, adaptogenic, hypoglycemic, antineoplastic, chemoprotective, and radioprotective effects, and prevention of dental caries. Polyphenols in Triphala modulate the human gut microbiome and thereby promote the growth of beneficial Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus while inhibiting the growth of undesirable gut microbes. The bioactivity of Triphala is elicited by gut microbiota to generate a variety of anti-inflammatory compounds.

(my emphasis)

Triphala is a powerful polyherbal formula with myriad efficacious therapeutic uses for maintaining homeostasis as well as the prevention and treatment of disease. Many scientific studies have reported evidence-based validation of various traditional uses of Triphala. It provides therapeutic value for multiple pathologies. Additional government funding allocations and support are needed for further and ongoing studies to validate its therapeutic uses in human clinical trials and to define the biological mechanisms relevant to this plant-based medicine. More widespread education of the general public and medical providers on clinical Ayurvedic medicine and complementary therapies such as Triphala is warranted to increase awareness of these treatments for both clinical and healthy populations.

[hlthe2b]

6. Acupuncture can be highly effective. There are other options...

especially for arthritis restricted to the hands, where movement is still intact, and the patient is not suffering from dementia. One would be a handheld small infrared device (sometimes referred to as a "cold laser" ) that can be used by the individual at home. Some of them are very tiny and FDA-approved with multiple settings for various purposes. Others have only one setting and are able to be used on larger areas (ex., a painful shoulder). Eye protection (dark lenses) is necessary, but is usually included with these devices.

You can purchase them on Amazon. But do your reading. They are safe (with appropriate eye protection), but look for those that are widely reviewed and likewise FDA-approved. They can be as small as a mini flashlight, which would work well with hands.

But, yes, acupuncture can also be effective, but it requires frequent visits to receive appropriate care.