Acupuncture for Knee Pain in Naperville IL

Your knee has become the thing you think about before you do anything. Can I take those stairs? Will I make it through the grocery store? Should I even try to exercise? You’ve been told it’s arthritis, or you need a replacement, or you should just take anti-inflammatories and “manage it.” Maybe you’ve had cortisone shots that worked for a month and then faded. Maybe you’ve done physical therapy and strengthened everything around the knee, but the knee itself still hurts.

What if the problem isn’t that your knee can’t get better—it’s that you haven’t found the right combination of treatments yet?

Acupuncture is one of the most well-researched treatments for knee pain—and the American College of Rheumatology specifically recommends it for knee osteoarthritis. But at Synergy Institute in Naperville, we don’t stop at acupuncture alone.

I’m Dr. Jennifer Wise, a Palmer College of Chiropractic graduate, acupuncturist, and founder of Synergy Institute. I’ve treated knee pain for over 25 years, and here’s what I’ve learned: the knee is a weight-bearing joint that takes punishment from above (your hip and spine alignment), below (your ankle and foot mechanics), and within (cartilage degeneration, meniscus damage, inflammation). Treating just one of those layers is why so many knee pain patients stay stuck.

In this article, I’ll explain why your knee pain persists, how acupuncture works specifically for the knee, and why combining acupuncture with treatments like SoftWave therapy and knee decompression produces results that single-treatment approaches can’t match.

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Knee Pain Quick Facts

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Why Your Knee Pain Keeps Getting Worse

Most knee pain treatments focus on the knee in isolation. But your knee doesn’t exist in isolation—it’s part of a chain that includes your hip, pelvis, spine, ankle, and foot. When any link in that chain is dysfunctional, your knee pays the price.

Here’s what might actually be causing your knee pain:

Osteoarthritis (Wear and Tear)

The most common cause of chronic knee pain, especially after age 50. The cartilage that cushions your knee joint gradually breaks down, leading to bone-on-bone contact, inflammation, stiffness, and pain that progressively worsens over months and years. Morning stiffness, pain that worsens with activity, swelling after use, and a grinding sensation with movement are all hallmarks.

Here’s what most providers don’t tell you: arthritis in the knee doesn’t mean your only options are cortisone shots and eventual knee replacement. Acupuncture reduces the inflammatory cascade driving cartilage breakdown, while treatments like SoftWave actually activate your body’s own stem cells to promote tissue repair. You have more options than you’ve been told.

Meniscus Injuries

Your menisci are C-shaped pieces of cartilage that act as shock absorbers between your thigh bone and shin bone. Tears can happen from acute trauma (a twist during sports) or from degeneration over time. Symptoms include catching, locking, a popping sensation, and localized pain along the joint line.

Acupuncture reduces the inflammation and muscle guarding around a meniscus tear, improving mobility and pain. For degenerative tears—which are extremely common in middle-aged adults—many respond well to conservative treatment and don’t need surgery.

Bursitis

The knee contains several bursae—fluid-filled sacs that reduce friction between bones, tendons, and muscles. When these become inflamed (commonly the prepatellar bursa on top of the kneecap or the pes anserine bursa on the inner knee), the result is localized swelling and pain. Bursitis is often a symptom of underlying dysfunction rather than a standalone problem.

Tendinitis and Ligament Strain

Patellar tendinitis (jumper’s knee), iliotibial band syndrome (runner’s knee), and ligament sprains all cause knee pain patterns that respond well to acupuncture’s anti-inflammatory and tissue-healing mechanisms.

Referred Pain from the Hip or Spine

This is the one most providers miss entirely. Hip joint dysfunction, SI joint problems, or even lumbar spine issues can refer pain directly to the knee. I’ve had patients come in convinced they need a knee replacement, and the primary driver of their pain was actually coming from their hip or lower back—similar to the referred pain patterns I discuss in my article on acupuncture for sciatica. As a Doctor of Chiropractic, I evaluate the entire kinetic chain—not just the joint that hurts.

🚨 Seek Prompt Medical Evaluation If You Experience:

• Sudden inability to bear weight on the knee
• Significant swelling developing within hours of an injury
• Visible deformity of the knee joint
• Knee locking in a position and unable to straighten
• Signs of infection: redness, warmth, fever with knee swelling

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How Acupuncture Treats Knee Pain

The research on acupuncture for knee pain—particularly knee osteoarthritis—is among the strongest in the entire acupuncture literature. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis found that acupuncture produces durable improvements in both pain and function that persist for 12 or more months after treatment completion. Electroacupuncture was found to be superior to common medications including ibuprofen and celecoxib for pain relief and functional improvement.

Here’s what happens when I treat your knee:

Inflammation reduction at the joint level. Acupuncture downregulates pro-inflammatory cytokines—the chemical messengers that drive the inflammatory cascade in arthritic and injured joints. This isn’t temporary masking like an anti-inflammatory pill. With repeated treatment, acupuncture helps reset the chronic inflammatory cycle that keeps your knee swollen, stiff, and painful.

Pain signal modulation. Needle stimulation triggers the release of endorphins, enkephalins, and serotonin—your body’s natural pain-relieving chemicals. More importantly for knee pain, acupuncture activates descending inhibitory pathways in the spinal cord that reduce the amplified pain signals coming from a sensitized joint. Your brain gets a cleaner, more accurate signal instead of the constant alarm that chronic knee pain creates.

Improved circulation to the joint. Knee cartilage has extremely limited blood supply, which is why it heals so slowly. Acupuncture increases local blood flow around the joint, delivering oxygen and nutrients that support tissue repair while clearing inflammatory waste products. For arthritic knees, this improved circulation is critical.

Muscle balance restoration. Knee pain causes compensatory muscle patterns—your quadriceps weaken, your hamstrings tighten, and the muscles that stabilize your kneecap stop firing properly. Acupuncture releases the tension in overworked muscles and helps restore normal firing patterns, reducing the mechanical stress on the joint.

Synovial fluid regulation. The fluid that lubricates your knee joint can become inflamed and less effective in arthritic knees. Acupuncture has been shown to influence the quality and quantity of synovial fluid, improving joint lubrication and reducing the friction that accelerates cartilage damage.

Think of it like this—as I explain in my article on acupuncture for back pain—your body’s pain and nerve pathways work like a strand of Christmas lights. When one bulb goes out, the whole circuit goes dark. Your knee is running a circuit that’s gotten disrupted at multiple points: inflammation blocking one pathway, muscle guarding disrupting another, poor circulation cutting off the repair process. Acupuncture resets the circuit at multiple points simultaneously.

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Electroacupuncture for Knee Osteoarthritis

For knee osteoarthritis specifically, I frequently use electroacupuncture—where a gentle electrical current is delivered between paired acupuncture needles placed around the knee joint. The research here is particularly strong.

A systematic review comparing electroacupuncture with common OA medications found electroacupuncture was superior to ibuprofen, celecoxib, diclofenac, and glucosamine for both pain reduction and functional improvement. The electrical stimulation penetrates deeper into the joint structures, produces stronger and more sustained anti-inflammatory effects, and triggers a more prolonged release of pain-relieving neurotransmitters than manual needling alone.

For patients who’ve been managing their knee arthritis with daily NSAIDs, electroacupuncture offers the possibility of reducing or eliminating that medication dependence—and the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and kidney risks that come with long-term NSAID use.

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Synergy’s Integrative Approach to Knee Pain

Here’s what sets us apart: acupuncture is powerful for knee pain, but at Synergy Institute, it’s the foundation of a multi-layered approach that no other clinic in Naperville can match.

Acupuncture + Electroacupuncture

The foundation. Reduces inflammation, modulates pain, improves circulation, restores muscle balance around the knee. Effective for osteoarthritis, meniscus injuries, bursitis, and tendinitis.

SoftWave Therapy

This is where things get exciting. SoftWave uses acoustic wave technology to activate your body’s own stem cells, create new blood vessel formation (angiogenesis), and stimulate tissue regeneration. For arthritic knees, this is a game-changer—you’re not just reducing pain, you’re promoting actual biological repair. We were the first clinic in Naperville to offer SoftWave, and the knee is one of our strongest applications. I wrote a detailed article on this: Breakthrough SoftWave Therapy for Knee Pain Relief in Naperville IL.

When I combine SoftWave with acupuncture, the effects compound: SoftWave activates stem cells and creates new blood vessels, while acupuncture reduces the inflammation that would otherwise interfere with the healing process. Two regenerative approaches working together.

Knee Decompression

Our knee decompression treatment gently opens the joint space, reducing compression on damaged cartilage and allowing better nutrient flow into the joint. For patients whose knee pain is driven by bone-on-bone contact and loss of joint space, decompression provides mechanical relief that acupuncture alone can’t deliver. If you want to understand this technology in depth, read What Is Knee Decompression? A Naperville Doctor Explains the Benefits or my companion article on knee decompression as a nonsurgical treatment.

ARP Neurotherapy

Here’s something most clinics completely overlook: many knee problems persist because faulty movement patterns keep re-injuring the joint. Your quadriceps aren’t firing correctly. Your hamstrings are compensating. Your gait has shifted to protect the painful knee—and that shifted gait is actually accelerating the damage. ARP neurotherapy identifies these dysfunctional movement patterns and retrains your neuromuscular system to fire in the correct sequence. It strengthens muscles in proper patterns and breaks the injury-reinjury cycle that keeps so many knee pain patients stuck. Acupuncture reduces the pain and inflammation. ARP restores the mechanics. Together, they give your knee the best chance to heal and stay healed.

MLS Laser Therapy

I use MLS laser directly on the knee joint and surrounding soft tissue. The dual-wavelength laser penetrates deep into the joint, reducing inflammation at the cellular level and accelerating tissue repair. For acute flares of knee pain or persistent swelling, laser combined with acupuncture provides rapid relief.

Chiropractic Assessment

Here’s where my dual credential makes a critical difference. Many knee problems are worsened—or even caused—by dysfunction in the hip, pelvis, or lumbar spine. Misalignment in these areas changes your gait, alters the loading pattern on your knee, and accelerates joint wear. Chiropractic evaluation of the entire kinetic chain ensures we’re not just treating the painful joint while ignoring the biomechanical dysfunction that’s driving the damage.

Nutritional Support

Chronic joint inflammation is worsened by nutritional deficiencies—particularly vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and glucosamine. Our nutritional assessment identifies gaps that may be fueling your knee inflammation and slowing cartilage repair.

Treatment Comparison

No other acupuncture clinic in Naperville offers this combination. And for a joint as complex as the knee—with cartilage, menisci, ligaments, tendons, bursae, and muscles all interacting—having every tool available matters. We even treat patients with failed knee replacement pain using this same integrative approach.

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Can Acupuncture Help You Avoid Knee Replacement?

This is the question I hear most often. Here’s my honest answer: it depends on how much cartilage you have left and how much function you’ve lost.

For mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis—where you still have some cartilage and your knee isn’t severely deformed—our integrative approach can often reduce pain significantly, improve function, and potentially delay or eliminate the need for surgery. Acupuncture manages the pain and inflammation. SoftWave promotes tissue repair. Knee decompression reduces mechanical compression. Together, they address the problem from multiple angles.

For severe, end-stage osteoarthritis with complete cartilage loss and significant bone deformity—joint replacement may ultimately be the right answer. But even in those cases, acupuncture can help manage pain while you prepare for surgery and accelerate recovery afterward.

The point is this: if you’ve been told you need a knee replacement, get a second opinion that includes non-surgical options. Many patients who’ve been told they need surgery find that they can get significant relief—and significant function back—without it.

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Is Acupuncture for Knee Pain Right for You?

You May Be a Good Candidate If:

• You have knee pain from osteoarthritis, meniscus injury, or tendinitis
• Your knee pain limits your ability to walk, exercise, or do daily activities
• You’ve tried physical therapy, cortisone shots, or medications without lasting relief
• You want to reduce or eliminate reliance on anti-inflammatory medications
• You’ve been told you need a knee replacement but want to explore alternatives first
• You have knee swelling, stiffness, or grinding that’s getting progressively worse
• Your knee pain is affecting both knees (bilateral osteoarthritis is extremely common)

You May NOT Be a Good Candidate If:

• You have a complete ligament tear requiring surgical reconstruction (ACL, PCL)
• You have an active infection in the knee joint (septic arthritis)
• You have a fracture involving the knee joint surface
• You have a pacemaker or implanted electrical device (electroacupuncture is contraindicated; traditional acupuncture may still be appropriate)

“I’ve seen too many patients rush into knee replacement when they had options they didn’t know about. And I’ve seen patients avoid surgery entirely because the right combination of treatments gave them their function back. I’ll give you an honest assessment of where you stand.”

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What to Expect at Your First Knee Pain Visit

Your evaluation goes beyond just looking at the knee. I need to understand why your knee hurts—not just that it does.

Your evaluation includes:

• Detailed history of your knee pain—when it started, what aggravates it, what you’ve tried, any prior imaging
• Knee examination—range of motion testing, ligament stability testing, palpation, joint line assessment
• Lower extremity biomechanical evaluation—hip, ankle, and foot mechanics that affect the knee
• Lumbar spine screening—ruling out referred pain from the low back
• Review of any imaging (MRI, X-rays)—I can review and explain what your imaging actually shows

Your first treatment is typically same-day and includes acupuncture targeted to your specific knee pain pattern. If SoftWave, laser, or knee decompression are appropriate based on your evaluation, we may incorporate those as well.

Typical treatment plan: 6–12 sessions for most knee pain cases, typically once or twice per week initially. Mild knee osteoarthritis may respond in 4–6 sessions. Moderate-to-severe arthritis typically benefits from 10–12 sessions with periodic maintenance. I’ll set clear expectations based on your situation—no open-ended plans.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Acupuncture for Knee Pain

How does acupuncture help knee pain specifically?

Acupuncture treats knee pain through multiple mechanisms: reducing inflammatory chemicals within the joint, triggering your body’s natural pain-relieving endorphins, improving blood circulation to cartilage that has limited blood supply, restoring proper muscle firing patterns around the knee, and improving synovial fluid quality for better joint lubrication. I target specific points around the knee as well as distal points along the meridian pathways that influence knee function.

Can acupuncture help knee osteoarthritis?

Yes—and the research is some of the strongest in the entire acupuncture literature. The American College of Rheumatology conditionally recommends acupuncture for knee OA. Meta-analyses show durable improvements in pain and function persisting 12+ months after treatment. Electroacupuncture specifically has been shown to outperform common arthritis medications including ibuprofen and celecoxib for both pain and functional outcomes.

How many acupuncture sessions does it take for knee pain relief?

Most knee pain patients notice improvement within 3–4 sessions. Mild osteoarthritis may respond well in 4–6 sessions. Moderate-to-severe arthritis typically needs 10–12 sessions for optimal results. Many of my knee OA patients then continue with monthly maintenance sessions to sustain their improvement. I’ll give you a specific recommendation after your evaluation.

Is acupuncture better than cortisone injections for knee pain?

They work differently. Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory that provides rapid relief but typically wears off in 4–8 weeks, and repeated injections may accelerate cartilage breakdown. Acupuncture provides more gradual relief but with cumulative, longer-lasting effects—and without the risks of cartilage damage. Many of my patients switch from cortisone to acupuncture specifically because they want sustained relief without the downsides of repeated injections.

Can acupuncture help a meniscus tear?

Acupuncture can significantly reduce the pain, swelling, and muscle guarding associated with a meniscus tear. For degenerative tears—which are extremely common in adults over 40—research shows that conservative treatment often produces outcomes comparable to surgery. Acupuncture combined with SoftWave and MLS laser creates an environment that supports healing while managing symptoms effectively.

Can acupuncture help me avoid knee replacement surgery?

For mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis with remaining cartilage, our integrative approach—acupuncture, SoftWave, knee decompression, and laser—can often provide significant pain relief and improved function that delays or eliminates the need for surgery. For severe end-stage arthritis, replacement may still be necessary, but acupuncture can manage pain during the waiting period and accelerate post-surgical recovery.

Does acupuncture work for knee pain from running or sports?

Yes. Sports-related knee conditions—patellar tendinitis, iliotibial band syndrome, ligament sprains, and meniscus injuries—respond well to acupuncture. I also evaluate your biomechanics to identify movement patterns that may be contributing to repetitive knee stress. Many of my athletic patients use periodic acupuncture as part of their training recovery and injury prevention strategy.

How does SoftWave therapy complement acupuncture for knee pain?

They work on different biological pathways with compounding benefits. Acupuncture reduces inflammation and modulates pain signaling. SoftWave activates your body’s stem cells, creates new blood vessel formation, and promotes tissue regeneration. Together, you get both immediate pain management and actual biological repair of damaged structures—an approach that neither treatment achieves as effectively on its own.

Can knee pain actually come from the hip or back?

Yes—and this is one of the most commonly missed diagnoses. Hip joint dysfunction, SI joint problems, and lumbar nerve irritation can all refer pain to the knee. I’ve treated patients who were scheduled for knee surgery when the primary pain generator was their hip or lower back. As a Doctor of Chiropractic, I evaluate the entire kinetic chain so we’re treating the actual cause, not just where you feel the pain.

Is acupuncture safe for knee pain with bone-on-bone arthritis?

Yes. Acupuncture is completely safe for bone-on-bone arthritis—the needles are placed in the soft tissue around the joint, not into the joint itself. For bone-on-bone cases, acupuncture reduces the inflammation and pain while knee decompression helps open the joint space and SoftWave promotes whatever tissue repair is still possible. Even severe arthritis patients often experience meaningful improvement in pain and function.

What’s the difference between acupuncture for the knee at Synergy versus other clinics?

Most acupuncture clinics provide acupuncture alone. At Synergy, I combine acupuncture with knee decompression, SoftWave therapy, MLS laser, chiropractic biomechanical evaluation, and nutritional support—all under one roof, in one coordinated treatment plan. My dual credential as both a Doctor of Chiropractic and a licensed acupuncturist means I can evaluate your knee structurally, identify referred pain from the hip or spine, and treat from multiple angles. You get a complete solution, not just needles.

Does insurance cover acupuncture for knee pain?

Coverage varies by plan. Some insurance plans now cover acupuncture for chronic pain conditions including knee osteoarthritis. We recommend checking with your specific carrier. Regardless of coverage, the investment in acupuncture often costs less than a single cortisone injection series—and produces longer-lasting results.

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Your Knee Has More Options Than You Think

If you’ve been told your only choices are medication, injections, or surgery—you haven’t heard the whole story. Acupuncture, SoftWave therapy, knee decompression, and laser therapy can change the trajectory of your knee pain, often dramatically.

At Synergy Institute in Naperville, we evaluate every factor contributing to your knee pain—the joint itself, the muscles around it, the biomechanics above and below it, and the inflammatory and nutritional factors driving it. And if I don’t think we can help your particular situation, I’ll tell you that directly.

Call or text (630) 454-1300 to schedule your consultation.

What to expect at your first visit:

• Complete knee and lower extremity evaluation
• Review of your X-rays or MRI
• Honest assessment of your options—surgical and non-surgical
• Same-day treatment if appropriate

Synergy Institute Acupuncture & Chiropractic 4931 Illinois Route 59, Suite 121 Naperville, IL 60564

Serving Naperville, Plainfield, Bolingbrook, Aurora, Oswego, and surrounding communities.

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References

1. Chen H, et al. Durable effects of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Current Pain and Headache Reports. 2024;28:709-722. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11916-024-01242-6
2. Kolasinski SL, et al. 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation guideline for the management of osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, and knee. Arthritis & Rheumatology. 2020;72(2):220-233. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31908163/
3. Vickers AJ, et al. Acupuncture for chronic pain: update of an individual patient data meta-analysis. The Journal of Pain. 2018;19(5):455-474. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29198932/
4. Li J, et al. Acupuncture for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: an overview of systematic reviews. PMC. 2021. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8617312/
5. Luo J, et al. Acupuncture for treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a clinical practice guideline. Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine. 2023;16(2):237-250. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jebm.12526
6. Manheimer E, et al. Acupuncture for peripheral joint osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2010;(1):CD001977. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20091527/
7. Li S, et al. Electroacupuncture versus pharmacologic treatment and physical interventions for knee osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28928793/
8. Zhao ZQ. Neural mechanism underlying acupuncture analgesia. Progress in Neurobiology. 2008;85(4):355-375. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18582529/
9. Zhang R, et al. Mechanisms of acupuncture-electroacupuncture on persistent pain. Anesthesiology. 2014;120(2):482-503. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24322588/
10. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Acupuncture: What You Need to Know. NCCIH. 2024. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/acupuncture-what-you-need-to-know
11. Berman BM, et al. Effectiveness of acupuncture as adjunctive therapy in osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized, controlled trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2004;141(12):901-910. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15611487/
12. Hunter DJ, Bierma-Zeinstra S. Osteoarthritis. The Lancet. 2019;393(10182):1745-1759. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31034380/

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Medical Disclaimer

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any medical decisions. Individual results may vary.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.

Last reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Wise, DC — February 2026