Arthritis Treatment · Which Doctor To See · Serving Leesburg
Arthritis Treatment for Leesburg, FL
"Is a rheumatologist an arthritis doctor?" Yes, for one kind. Inflammatory arthritis, several joints swelling at once with morning stiffness that lasts hours, is a rheumatologist's. A joint worn to the point of needing a replacement is an orthopedic surgeon's. The ordinary kind, osteoarthritis that aches, stiffens and slows you down, is mostly inflammation, muscle guarding and lost movement around a worn joint, and that is what arthritis treatment near Leesburg, FL here is for: acupuncture, dry needling, low level laser, point injections and cupping, by a board certified acupuncture physician with a medical doctor on site. About twenty minutes north of Leesburg.
Treated by Dr. Christopher Cheshire, MS, AP, LAc, DOM, NCCAOM board certified, 22 years in The Villages. Medical oversight by Dr. Thomas Phipps, MD. Meet the providers
In short: Which doctor for arthritis, answered for Leesburg, FL: rheumatology, orthopedics, or an acupuncture physician for the worn joint that still works. "Is a rheumatologist an arthritis doctor?" Yes, for one kind. Inflammatory arthritis, several joints swelling at once with morning stiffness that lasts hours, is a rheumatologist's.
Which Doctor, For Which Arthritis
Three kinds of arthritis patient, three kinds of doctor.
We screen for the first two at the consultation and send you to the right place, with Dr. Phipps, MD, in the building.
Rheumatology
Several joints becoming painful and swollen together, especially the small joints of both hands, with morning stiffness that lasts an hour or more, fatigue, or a joint that is hot, red and swollen with fever. That pattern may be inflammatory arthritis and needs a rheumatology work-up and the medications only a rheumatologist should manage. Not us first.
Orthopedics
A single joint so worn that it locks, gives way or has stopped responding to everything, where a replacement is the honest next step. We say so when the exam shows it, and the work we do beforehand leaves stronger muscle and a less inflamed joint to take into the operation.
Us: the worn joint that still works
Osteoarthritis in a knee, hip, shoulder, hand or spine that aches, stiffens after rest, swells after activity and has been called wear or bone on bone. The pain comes mostly from the inflamed lining, the guarding muscle, the stiff capsule and sensitized signalling, all of which can be treated even though the cartilage cannot be regrown. Full arthritis page.
How We Treat It
Four tools for the layers around the joint.
Acupuncture and dry needling
One of the best studied uses of acupuncture, with large randomized trials in knee osteoarthritis. Needling works the joint, the muscles controlling how it is loaded, and the sensitized signalling around it. How acupuncture works.
Low level laser
Reduces inflammation in the joint lining and raises cellular energy in the surrounding tissue, painlessly, with good trial support in arthritic joints. How laser works.
Acupuncture point injections
Anti-inflammatory and regenerative injectables at points around the joint when the tissue needs more than needling. Not cortisone into the joint. Injection therapy.
Cupping
Decompresses the tight fascia and muscle around a stiff joint, which is often what limits movement more than the joint surface. How cupping works.
The trial record: a 2024 review of ten randomized trials, 3,221 people with knee osteoarthritis Source: Chen et al., Current Pain and Headache Reports, 2024 (10 trials, 3,221 participants), found acupuncture improved pain and function against sham for about four and a half months after treatment; a pooled analysis of roughly 18,000 chronic pain patients Source: Vickers et al., Archives of Internal Medicine, 2012 (29 trials, 17,922 patients), osteoarthritis among them, found acupuncture beat both sham and usual care with lasting benefit. Modest, real, and we track your own joints.
What To Expect
An arthritis plan from Leesburg.
Confirm what is arthritic and what is not
Tendon, bursa and referred pain all masquerade as joint pain and often sit on top of real arthritis. Dr. Cheshire examines the joint and the chain around it and reviews any imaging, and screens for the inflammatory pattern.
Treat inflammation, guarding and movement
All three layers, because treating one alone is why relief tends not to hold in an arthritic joint.
Keep moving, with guidance
Cartilage is fed by motion and joints stiffen fast with rest. What to keep doing, what to scale back, and which strength work protects the joint between visits.
Check progress honestly
Stairs, distance, morning stiffness and swelling are easy to track. If the plan is not working we adjust it or tell you when a surgical opinion is the right next step.
Cost, Insurance and Medicare Source: CMS National Coverage Determination 30.3.3
What arthritis treatment costs for Leesburg patients.
Acupuncture visits
Covered by many insurance plans, needling and cupping included; we check before the first appointment. Self pay prices before you book.
Medicare
Original Medicare covers acupuncture only for chronic low back pain Source: CMS National Coverage Determination 30.3.3, not arthritic joints, and does not cover laser or injections. Some Advantage plans include acupuncture; we confirm yours.
Laser, injections and visits
Each priced on its own and self pay, so the cost follows what your joints need rather than a package. Weekly visits for the first month, then every two to four weeks as the joint settles; Leesburg patients pair two therapies per visit.
The first 20 minute consultation is free and no referral is needed. Call 352-430-2720. Insurance and payment details.
Is This You, Leesburg?
We are the right doctor when:
- A joint has ached and stiffened for months and is limiting what you do.
- You have been told it is arthritis or bone on bone and want to stay active.
- You are trying to delay or avoid a joint replacement.
- Anti-inflammatories or cortisone help for a while and the pain returns.
- You would rather work on the joint than oorganize your life around it.
Urgent care for a joint that is hot, red and swollen with fever. Rheumatology for several joints swelling together with morning stiffness lasting hours. We screen for both at the consultation.
Common Questions
Arthritis questions from Leesburg patients.
Getting Here From Leesburg
~20 min door to door.
Head north on US 441/27, then take County Road 466 west to Old Camp Road. Free parking right at the door.
Address910 Old Camp Road, Suite 162
The Villages, FL 32162
Phone352-430-2720
HoursMonday to Thursday, 7 AM to 3 PM
Friday, 7 AM to 12 PM
From Leesburg~20 min. Ground floor, step-free entry, free parking. Directions
Many Leesburg patients come to us looking for another option before surgery. The drive is quick, and parking is right at the door.
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Medically Reviewed
Checked by the doctors who treat you
This page was written and reviewed by Dr. Christopher Cheshire, MS, AP, LAc, DOM (NCCAOM board certified). Last reviewed September 2026. Content updated October 26, 2026. Serving Leesburg patients from The Villages.
Educational content only. Not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Results vary between patients and nothing here is a guarantee of outcome.
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