People searching for acupuncture in Bridgewater, NJ, or in Somerset, usually have a joint in mind: a knee that aches on the stairs, a hip that stiffens after a long drive, hands that are sore in the morning, or an elbow, ankle or heel that has not settled since last season. Netra Integrative Health Clinic is in South Plainfield, a drive down Interstate 287 from much of Somerset County. This guide focuses on two kinds of problems: osteoarthritis of the knees, hips and hands, and injuries from sport and exercise. For each, it sets out what the research shows, where acupuncture fits beside exercise, physical therapy and your doctor's care, and what treatment involves.
The evidence differs a good deal from one joint to the next, and we have tried to show exactly where it is solid and where it is thin.
Acupuncture for osteoarthritis: knees, hips and hands
Osteoarthritis is the wear-related form of arthritis. NCCIH, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, puts the number of U.S. adults affected at more than 32.5 million, and notes that it becomes more common with age and is more frequent in women, particularly after 50.
The short answer on acupuncture: it has reasonable evidence for knee osteoarthritis, weaker evidence for the hip, and very little direct research for the hand. Its effects are real but modest, and it sits behind exercise and weight management in the treatment guidelines.
Knees
Most of the research on acupuncture for osteoarthritis has been done in people with knee osteoarthritis. According to the NCCIH summary of acupuncture effectiveness and safety, a 2018 review found acupuncture better than no treatment for osteoarthritis pain in 10 studies with 2,413 participants, and better than sham acupuncture in 9 studies with 2,376 participants. The pain relief was comparable to that from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
NCCIH's practical tips on osteoarthritis sum this up in a balanced way: acupuncture might be helpful, the research suggests its effect is more than placebo, but the effect is relatively modest and may not last long. That is the honest expectation to bring to a course of treatment.
Hips
The hip results are weaker. NCCIH reports a 2018 review of 6 studies with 413 participants. In the two trials that compared acupuncture with sham, there was little or no difference. The other four compared acupuncture with different treatments in ways that could not easily be combined. If your main problem is hip osteoarthritis, a short trial with a clear review point makes more sense than a long open-ended course.
Hands
For osteoarthritis of the hand, the support comes from a guideline rather than from a body of trials. The 2019 guideline from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Arthritis Foundation conditionally recommends acupuncture for osteoarthritis of the knee, hip or hand. A conditional recommendation is a weaker endorsement than the guideline's strong recommendations, which are listed below.
Where acupuncture fits among osteoarthritis treatments
The same 2019 guideline, summarized by the American Physical Therapy Association, ranks the options in a way worth knowing before you start anything.
- Strongly recommended: exercise and self-management programs for knee, hip and hand osteoarthritis; weight loss, where appropriate, and tai chi for the knee and hip; oral NSAIDs; corticosteroid injections into the knee or hip joint; and topical NSAIDs for the knee.
- Conditionally recommended: acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy and heat or cold treatments for all three joints; balance exercises for the knee and hip; and yoga for the knee.
- Strongly recommended against: glucosamine, fish oil and vitamin D for osteoarthritis, and platelet-rich plasma or stem cell injections for the knee or hip.
- Conditionally recommended against for the knee or hip: massage therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), modified shoes, and lateral and wedged insoles.
Two points follow from that list. First, exercise is the foundation, and acupuncture is best seen as something that may help you keep up with it, not a replacement. Second, if you are spending money on glucosamine or on regenerative injections in the hope of protecting a knee, it is worth discussing the guideline with your doctor.
Not every guideline has agreed. NCCIH's older osteoarthritis overview, last updated in 2016, recorded that the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons was at that time strongly recommending against acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis, while the rheumatology guideline of the day conditionally supported it for some patients. Reasonable experts have weighed the same modest evidence differently, and you should know that.
Sports and active-lifestyle injuries
The research on acupuncture for sports injuries is thinner than for osteoarthritis. It consists mostly of smaller trials and reviews of uneven quality, and NCCIH's acupuncture summary does not address sports injuries as a category. Here is what we found when we looked at specific problems.
Tennis elbow and other tendon pain
Lateral elbow pain, often called tennis elbow, is one of the better-studied examples. A 2020 international trial published in the European Journal of Pain enrolled 96 adults who had had pain on the outside of one elbow for at least three months, at centers in Australia, China, Hong Kong and Italy. People given manual acupuncture had better arm function three weeks after treatment than those given sham laser acupuncture, with what the authors called a medium effect, and there were no severe adverse events. That is one trial of moderate size, so it is encouraging rather than conclusive.
Ankle sprains
Ankle sprains show the opposite pattern: plenty of studies, but poor ones. A 2013 review in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine pooled 17 trials with 1,820 participants. More people who had acupuncture reported their symptoms improving, but trial quality was generally poor, and the authors concluded the evidence was not strong enough to recommend acupuncture as an evidence-based treatment for ankle sprain. A fresh sprain with any of the warning signs listed below should be assessed by a doctor first.
Muscle knots and overuse pain
Runners, lifters and weekend players often have tight, tender bands in a calf, a hamstring, the upper back or around the shoulder blade. NCCIH reports that needling these trigger points improved pain intensity in myofascial pain syndrome across 5 studies with 215 participants, whereas needling traditional acupuncture points alone did not help, in 4 studies with 80 participants. The studies are small, but they point toward including the painful muscle itself in treatment.
Back pain in active people
If back pain is what keeps you out of the gym or off the course, it is the best-studied use of acupuncture. NCCIH reports that a 2018 review found acupuncture better than both no treatment and sham for back or neck pain, and the American College of Physicians lists it as a first-line nondrug option for chronic low back pain. Our article on acupuncture for lower back pain covers this in detail.
After orthopedic surgery
NCCIH also describes a 2016 evaluation of 11 studies with 682 participants in which people who received acupuncture the day after surgery had less pain and used less opioid medication. If you are recovering from an arthroscopy, a ligament repair or a joint replacement, talk to your surgeon before adding acupuncture, and keep your physical therapy plan as the priority.
What this means if you are injured
For a recent injury, diagnosis comes first. Mayo Clinic notes that most mild sprains heal at home, but that the same kind of injury can sometimes cause a fracture, so a professional should see it if you cannot move or put weight on the joint, if there is pain directly over the bone, or if the area is numb. For a lingering problem that has been diagnosed and has not settled with rest and rehabilitation, acupuncture is a reasonable addition to try with a defined trial period.
How acupuncture fits with exercise, physical therapy and your orthopedist
Think of acupuncture as a support act. For osteoarthritis, the treatments with the strongest backing are exercise, weight management where it applies, and tai chi. For sports injuries, structured rehabilitation is the backbone. If acupuncture eases pain, the main value may be that it makes that work easier to keep doing.
Mayo Clinic's knee pain guidance explains why the basics matter: extra body weight increases stress on the knee joints, a lack of strength and flexibility raises the risk of knee injury, and a previous knee injury makes another one more likely. None of that is changed by needles alone.
In practice, that means:
- Keep your physical therapist or trainer in the loop. Tell them you are having acupuncture, and tell us what exercises you have been given.
- Do not stop a medicine your doctor prescribed for arthritis because you have started acupuncture. If your pain falls and you want to use less, raise it with your doctor.
- If you are already having dry needling from a physical therapist, let us know. Dry needling targets trigger points in muscle, while a licensed acupuncturist also chooses points based on a wider assessment. The two can be coordinated, but the overlap needs to be planned.
- Expect a review point at which we look honestly at your pain, function and activity levels together.
Tai chi, yoga, massage and supplements
Patients often ask what else they should be doing. NCCIH's material on osteoarthritis gives a fair summary.
- Tai chi has the strongest support of these options. NCCIH says it can help knee or hip osteoarthritis, with studies showing improvements in pain, stiffness and physical function. Its older overview describes a 2016 study comparing tai chi with physical therapy for knee osteoarthritis, in which both groups improved and the pain benefit lasted a full year after the 12-week program when people were encouraged to keep exercising. Some people noticed a temporary increase in knee pain.
- Yoga might help, but far less research has been done on it than on tai chi. The 2019 guideline conditionally recommends it for the knee.
- Massage has only a few small studies behind it, and the 2019 guideline conditionally recommends against it for the knee or hip.
- Glucosamine and chondroitin have produced conflicting results, and NCCIH notes they may interact with warfarin, a blood thinner. If you take warfarin, check with your doctor before using them.
A combined plan, such as a structured exercise program or tai chi class with acupuncture for pain during the early weeks, follows the guideline's priorities more closely than acupuncture on its own.
About your practitioner
All treatment at the clinic is given by Dr. Saikumar Gandapodi, DAOM, Dipl. OM, AP, L.Ac. He founded Netra Integrative Health Clinic, directs it, and personally sees every patient at the South Plainfield office.
Orthopedic disorders are one of his main areas of specialization, which is directly relevant to the joint and injury problems described in this guide. He is also known for taking on complex and advanced conditions, including people who have tried other practitioners and treatments with no results, and people whose joint pain comes alongside other long-term health problems. He will give you his candid view of what treatment can and cannot do. No outcome can be promised in an individual case.
Qualifications
- Clinical doctorate (DAOM) from Five Branches University.
- Master of Traditional Oriental Medicine from Pacific College of Health and Science.
- Dipl. OM: national board certification in Oriental Medicine.
- L.Ac.: holds Acupuncturist and Herbalist licenses in both New Jersey and New York.
- AP: Florida board certification as an Acupuncture Physician and Doctor of Oriental Medicine.
- Classically trained in Ayurveda, with graduate training in Yoga Therapy and further advanced clinical training completed in India.
Areas of focus
His integrative approach draws on Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy. Alongside orthopedic disorders, he specializes in complex and chronic conditions, fertility and internal medicine. The condition pages on this site are his work: he writes and clinically reviews them. See the team page for his full profile.
Getting to South Plainfield from Bridgewater and Somerset
The clinic is at 5001 Hadley Road, Suite 210, South Plainfield, NJ 07080. Interstate 287 is the main limited-access road through Bridgewater Township, with interchanges for Route 28 (Exits 13A and 13B) and U.S. Route 22 (Exits 14A and 14B). From Bridgewater, follow I-287 south toward Edison to Exit 5, Stelton Road (County Route 529), in South Plainfield. Hadley Road meets Stelton Road a short way from that exit.
Somerset is a community within Franklin Township. Easton Avenue (County Route 527), which runs through Somerset, meets I-287 at Exit 10 in Franklin Township. From there it is the same route: I-287 south to Exit 5.
We do not quote drive times, because they depend on where you start and on traffic on I-287. Our location page has a map and the final turns.
For anyone with a sore knee or hip, the practical details matter:
- Parking is free, with plenty of space.
- The suite is on the second floor, and there is an elevator.
- Hours are Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- Visits are by appointment only, with no walk-ins. Same-day appointments are limited; call (908) 402-7301 to ask.
Your first visit: what to bring for a joint or sports problem
The first appointment is a 60-minute consultation, and needling is generally not part of it. Treatment starts at a separate visit once a plan is agreed.
Dr. Gandapodi will go through your history, symptoms, medicines and lifestyle. For a joint or sports problem, that means questions such as which joints hurt, how long morning stiffness lasts, what activity brings the pain on, what you have stopped doing because of it, and what has already been tried. He will also examine your tongue and pulse, which are standard parts of a Chinese medicine assessment.
Everyone should bring a photo ID, an insurance card, recent complete blood work reports and a list of medicines and supplements with doses. For this kind of problem, these also help:
- Reports from any X-rays or MRI scans, and the name of the joint or tendon involved.
- Notes from your orthopedist, rheumatologist or physical therapist, and your current exercise program.
- The dates of any joint injections and what was injected.
- A short note of what you are training for or would like to get back to, whether that is a 5K, a round of golf, gardening, or simply the stairs at home.
You leave with a proposed plan: what treatment is recommended, how often, and when progress will be reviewed. The new patients page has the general checklist.
What treatment involves for knees, hips, hands and injuries
Treatment sessions are 30 minutes. The needles are hair-thin, solid, sterile and used only once. Nothing is injected. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates acupuncture needles as medical devices.
Where you lie depends on the joint. Knee treatment is usually done lying on your back, so shorts or loose trousers that roll above the knee are ideal. Hip and lower-back treatment may be done lying on your side or face down, with draping. Hands and elbows are easy to reach with sleeves pushed up. Points on the opposite limb, the lower legs or the back may also be used.
Insertion is usually felt as a quick pinch, or not at all, and a dull ache or heaviness may follow around the point. If anything is sharp, say so and the needle will be adjusted. Then you rest quietly with the needles in place.
For active patients, the most practical advice is about timing. After a session, avoid strenuous exercise for the rest of the day, limit alcohol and caffeine, and drink plenty of water. Schedule treatment on a rest day or after your training, not before a race, a match or a heavy session. Mild soreness at a needle site usually settles within a day or two.
How long before you know if it is helping
There is no fixed number of sessions. It depends on the joint, how long the problem has been there, and how you respond, and Dr. Gandapodi will discuss a plan with you. For joint pain, though, the research gives some useful reference points.
NCCIH describes joint pain studies in women taking aromatase inhibitors, a breast cancer medication that can cause joint pain. A 2017 review of 5 studies with 181 participants suggested that six to eight weeks of acupuncture may reduce that pain. In a 2018 trial of 226 women, those who had acupuncture twice a week for six weeks reported less joint pain than women given sham or no acupuncture. Those were courses of several weeks, not one or two visits.
Medicare's coverage rule for chronic low back pain follows the same logic: a defined block of up to 12 visits in 90 days, more only if the patient is improving, and no further coverage if not.
A sensible plan for a knee or an elbow, then, includes a measure you can track, such as how many stairs you can climb without pain, how far you can walk or run, or how your grip feels in the morning, and a review after a block of sessions. If nothing has changed, the plan should change. Our article on how many acupuncture sessions you may need has more on this.
Insurance, Medicare and payment
Dr. Gandapodi belongs to the networks of most insurance plans. Medicare and Medicaid are the exceptions: the clinic does not participate in either. It does accept most Medicare Advantage plans that include acupuncture.
Coverage depends on your plan, not just on network status. Some plans cover acupuncture for a limited number of visits, some only for certain diagnoses, and some not at all. Only acupuncture is billed to insurance. Ayurvedic medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, Panchakarma and Transdermal Medication Therapy are not. Our free benefits check, through the insurance verification form, takes three to five business days. More is on the insurance page.
If you were hurt in a car accident, the clinic also bills auto insurance personal injury protection (PIP) for acupuncture. Mention the accident when you book, and have your auto insurance claim number ready.
Because osteoarthritis is so common in older adults, the Medicare rule matters here. According to Medicare.gov, Original Medicare Part B covers acupuncture only for chronic low back pain, and it cannot pay licensed acupuncturists directly. Knee, hip and hand osteoarthritis are not covered under that rule. Our article on whether Medicare covers acupuncture explains the details.
Other ways to pay:
- HSA, FSA and HRA funds, since acupuncture is a qualified medical expense. We can provide a Letter of Medical Necessity if your plan administrator asks for one. Our HSA and FSA page explains how this works.
- CareCredit.
- A senior discount, and sliding-scale help through our financial assistance program.
The office can talk you through what fits your situation at (908) 402-7301.
Safety and warning signs for joint and sports problems
Acupuncture from a trained, licensed practitioner using sterile single-use needles has a good safety record. NCCIH reports that relatively few complications have been recorded, and that serious problems have been linked to nonsterile needles and improper technique. Minor effects such as a small bruise, a drop of blood, local soreness or brief tiredness are more common.
Tell us before treatment if you take a blood thinner or have a bleeding disorder, if you have a joint replacement or other implant near the area to be treated, if you have a pacemaker, if you are or might be pregnant, if your immune system is weakened, or if you have diabetes affecting the feet or skin. Each of these changes how treatment is planned.
When a knee or joint needs a doctor first
Mayo Clinic advises calling your doctor if you cannot bear weight on your knee or it feels unstable or gives way, if it is markedly swollen, if you cannot fully straighten or bend it, if there is an obvious deformity, if you have a fever along with redness, pain and swelling in the knee, or if severe pain follows an injury. For other joints, the sprain warning signs above apply: inability to move or bear weight, pain directly over the bone, or numbness.
A hot, red, swollen joint with fever needs prompt medical assessment, not acupuncture. For Bridgewater residents, the township is served by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in neighboring Somerville.
Not all joint pain is osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory or autoimmune conditions also cause joint pain, and they need diagnosis and treatment from a physician or rheumatologist. Acupuncture can be used alongside that care, but not in place of it. Our autoimmune and inflammation page explains how we work with such conditions.
Acupuncture as part of your wider care
Everything we offer is complementary care. It is used together with your regular medical treatment and never as a substitute. Keep your primary care doctor, orthopedist, rheumatologist and physical therapist involved, and do not change or stop prescribed medicines without the prescribing doctor.
With your consent, your physician can receive a summary of your treatment from us. Clinicians can refer patients through our referring providers page.
Beyond acupuncture, the clinic provides Ayurvedic medicine, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, Panchakarma and Transdermal Medication Therapy. Any herbal prescription is individual and checked against the medicines you already take, which matters for people on blood thinners or several arthritis medicines. The options are listed on our treatments page. Arthritis also features in our geriatric care and pain management pages.
Questions from Bridgewater and Somerset patients
My surgeon says I will eventually need a knee replacement. Is acupuncture worth trying in the meantime?
It may be, as long as your surgeon knows. The evidence suggests a modest effect on knee osteoarthritis pain. Exercise and weight management remain the treatments with the strongest support, and acupuncture is best used to help you keep doing them.
Does acupuncture repair cartilage?
We do not claim that it does. Acupuncture is used to ease pain and stiffness. The studies summarized in this guide measured pain and function, not cartilage repair.
Can it help my hip arthritis?
The evidence for the hip is weaker than for the knee; in the trials that compared acupuncture with sham for hip osteoarthritis, there was little or no difference. A short trial with a clear review point is the sensible approach.
Do you treat hand arthritis?
Yes. The 2019 ACR and Arthritis Foundation guideline conditionally recommends acupuncture for hand osteoarthritis, though direct research on the hand is limited.
Is this the same as the dry needling my physical therapist does?
No. Both use fine needles, but dry needling focuses on trigger points in muscle, while acupuncture also uses points chosen from a wider assessment. Tell both practitioners if you are having both.
Should I stop taking glucosamine?
That is a question for your doctor. The 2019 osteoarthritis guideline strongly recommends against glucosamine, citing a lack of efficacy.
Can I play or train after a session?
Avoid strenuous exercise for the rest of that day. Book sessions on rest days or after training.
How soon after an injury can I come in?
Get a new injury assessed first, especially if you cannot bear weight, have pain over a bone, or have numbness. Once a diagnosis is clear, acupuncture can be added to your rehabilitation plan.
Does Medicare cover acupuncture for knee arthritis?
No. Original Medicare Part B covers acupuncture only for chronic low back pain. The clinic does not participate in Medicare, but it accepts most Medicare Advantage plans that include acupuncture.
Do you bill auto insurance after a car accident?
Yes. The clinic bills auto insurance personal injury protection (PIP) for acupuncture after a car accident. Mention the accident when you book, and have your auto insurance claim number ready.
Is the office easy to get into if walking is painful?
Parking is free, and the second-floor suite has elevator access.
Which exit do I use from I-287?
Exit 5, Stelton Road, in South Plainfield. Hadley Road is a short way from the exit, and our location page shows the final turns.
Is acupuncture safe for older adults?
Generally, yes, when it is done by a licensed practitioner with sterile single-use needles. Tell us about blood thinners, implants, diabetes and any other conditions, because they change how treatment is planned. Arthritis is one of the conditions on our geriatric care page.
Can acupuncture get me back to running after an injury?
It may help with pain along the way, but the return itself depends on diagnosis, rehabilitation and a gradual build-up of training. We see acupuncture as a support to that process, and we will tell you if we think your injury needs something else first.
How do I cancel or reschedule?
Call (908) 402-7301 at least 24 hours before your appointment.
Book a consultation
Book through our appointment page, where online bookings are confirmed by text and email, or call (908) 402-7301. If you plan to use insurance, send your details through the verification form about a week before your visit. Bring your imaging reports, your exercise program and a note of what you want to get back to doing. Other common questions are answered on our FAQ page.
This guide is general health information, not a substitute for your own doctor's advice. Research findings come from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the 2019 ACR and Arthritis Foundation guideline as summarized by the American Physical Therapy Association, a 2020 trial in the European Journal of Pain, and a 2013 review in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Warning signs are from Mayo Clinic, and Medicare rules are from Medicare.gov. All are linked above.