Acupuncture is usually used with the combination of DMARDs for RA. Acupuncture could improve patient’s symptoms, delay the progression, and reduce pain in the treatment of RA ( 13, 14). It has been widely used in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis ( 10), ankylosing spondylitis ( 11, 12), and other arthritis, with a good effect. Acupuncture is a complementary and alternative therapy based on the meridian theory in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Therefore, how to optimize RA treatment strategies is a major concern for clinicians. However, DMARDs cannot effectively control the progress and relieve clinical symptoms of RA ( 9). The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recommends disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) against RA ( 8). The prevalence of RA is about 0.3% to 1% ( 6), and it is closely related to a variety of chronic diseases to bring a huge care burden ( 7).Īt present, there is no radical treatment for RA. As a refractory disease, RA seriously affects the quality of life in patients, and it brings a heavy burden to society and economy ( 5). RA can occur at any age, and mostly between 30 and 60 years old. The aggravation of RA might be accompanied by joint deformities and dysfunction, as well as internal organ injury, such as heart, lungs, and kidneys ( 4). Its pathological characteristics are inflammatory cell infiltration, joint synovial hyperplasia, and progressive damage in articular cartilage and subchondral bone ( 3). Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic and erosive polyarthritis ( 1, 2).
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