EFFECTIVENESS OF ACUPUNCTURE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS REHABILITATION

The effectiveness of acupuncture in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rehabilitation is the focus of this study, which provides a detailed and in-depth analysis of the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, epidemiology, diagnosis, etiology, risk factors, laboratory and instrumental analyses, as well as management and prevention strategies of RA. The research examines the efficacy of acupuncture interventions in reducing pain, improving joint mobility, decreasing inflammation markers, and enhancing quality of life in RA patients, as well as acupuncture-related side effects, combined use with adjunct therapies (eg, medications, physiotherapy, exercise, and nutrition), including integration with biological agents and immunosuppressants. Findings indicate that acupuncture in RA rehabilitation can reduce pain by 30-50%, improve joint functions by 20-40%, decrease inflammation markers (ESR and CRP) by 25-35%, and significantly increase patients' quality of life, contributing to long-term disease remission. The study proposes integrative approaches combining traditional medicine (acupuncture, herbal therapy) and modern methods (biologic therapy, physiotherapy) for RA rehabilitation, revealing novel strategies applicable in clinical practice, preventive programs, patient education, and future research. The relevance of this work is tied to the increasing RA cases amid pandemic and modern lifestyle changes (eg, reduced physical activity, dietary disruptions), impacting global healthcare systems, including economic burden and resource allocation.本研究聚焦针灸在类风湿关节炎（RA）康复中的应用价值，对RA的发病机制、临床表现、流行病学特征、诊断方法、病因学、危险因素、实验室检测与器械辅助检查、诊疗及预防策略展开了全面深入的分析。本研究探讨了针灸干预对RA患者的临床疗效，具体包括减轻疼痛症状、改善关节活动度、降低炎症标志物水平及提升患者生活质量，同时评估了针灸相关不良反应，以及针灸与辅助治疗手段（如药物、物理治疗、运动疗法与营养干预）的联合应用方案，其中涵盖与生物制剂及免疫抑制剂的联合使用。研究结果表明，应用针灸开展RA康复治疗可使患者疼痛程度降低30%~50%，关节功能改善20%~40%，炎症标志物（红细胞沉降率（ESR）与C反应蛋白（CRP））水平降低25%~35%，并可显著提升患者的生活质量，有助于实现疾病的长期缓解。本研究提出了整合传统医学（针灸、中草药疗法）与现代医学手段（生物治疗、物理治疗）的RA康复整合疗法，揭示了可应用于临床实践、预防项目、患者教育及未来研究的新型策略。本研究的相关意义与疫情大流行及现代生活方式改变（如体力活动减少、饮食结构紊乱）背景下RA病例数持续攀升的现状紧密相关，此类情况对全球医疗体系造成了包括经济负担与资源分配在内的多重负面影响。