Acupuncture in rheumatoid arthrit’s patients: advantages, disadvantages and reasons to use this therapy

Resumo

Objectives: to verify the main reasons that justify the acupuncture treatment’s search among Rheumatoid Arthrit’s patients; to identify advantages and disadvantages of this therapy. Methods: this is about a case study, performed in Hospital de Medicina Alternativa and a Private Clinic that use acupuncture as therapy, both in Goiânia. That were cases 18+, rheumatoid arthrit’s patients, acupuncture at least a month, self-evaluation and talking capables. This study was approved by the Committee of Ethics in Research of the Clinics Hospital of the Federal University of Goiás (028/2005). Results: four patients participate, and they were interviewed after the acupuncture session. Data were analyzed based on Content Analysis Technique. After interviews’ analysis, we identified two thematic categories: “Acupuncture’s attractives” and “Acupuncture: advantages and disadvantages”. Conclusions: it’s known that Acupuncture is an efficient Rheumatoid Arthrit’s therapy, so is necessary that Health Professionals does more divulgation and dedication. And so is necessary to study more this therapy, in case to describe their benefits, as an alternative therapy for Reumatoid Arthrit’s patients. Descriptors: acupuncture; rheumatoid arthritis; nursing.