Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine and healing method that started back more than 3,000 years ago. For Chinese people, it is used to effectively treat the symptoms of arthritis, and some health problems. Acupuncture is a procedure performed in which specific body areas and points are punctured with fine needles for therapeutic purposes, to relieve joint pains, produce regional anesthesia, or provide body relaxation.

Acupuncture is an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis because as a natural medication, it does not have any negative side effects, whereas most prescribed medications do, making it difficult for patients suffering from this chronic joint illness. Acupuncture works by inserting thin needles into several body points or "meridians", clearing any energy blockages. This allows the illness and the uncomfortable feeling to be quickly alleviated. Acupuncturists may focus on the heart, kidney, back of head, and internal secretion points.

Traditional acupuncturists typically treat the person as a whole rather than focusing on the symptoms of the disease. They consider the lifestyle of the sufferer and also environmental factors that triggered the problem.

There was a study of auriculo-electropuncture (AEP) in China with 16 patients that suffered from arthritis. AEP is a treatment of essential points on the ear.  They used a double blind method which resulted into a "statistically significant" improvement in their blood samples. In another research, there were 54 rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing acupuncture with the use of a Chinese herb called Zhuifengsu, also called warm needling. It resulted positively and has shown to be 100% effective.