May is designated Arthritis Awareness Month, and in recognition of this several posts will review topics related to arthritis. In a systematic review published in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, researchers found acupuncture to be effective in reducing knee pain from osteoarthritis. Researchers looked at several published studies to compare the effectiveness of acupuncture to other treatments for arthritic knee pain.
The research group, based in the UK, reviewed a total of 156 published trials. In addition to acupuncture, they reviewed other treatment modalities such as aerobic exercise, muscle-strengthening exercise, heat treatment, manual therapy, laser/light therapy, Tai Chi, TENS, and weight loss, among others. The purpose of the review was to compare acupuncture with alternative treatments that a primary care physician might typically prescribe for osteoarthritic knee pain.
The researchers found that several treatment modalities including acupuncture, TENS, aerobic exercise, and muscle strengthening exercise all showed some benefit when compared to “standard care”. Standard care in this instance would include analgesic pain medications and general exercise advice. In turn, when the other treatment modalities were compared to acupuncture, acupuncture was statistically superior in reducing knee pain compared to weight loss, muscle-strengthening exercises, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and pulsed electromagnetic fields.
It is important to note that when the research group specifically looked at what they described as “better quality studies” acupuncture again showed a statistically significant reduction in knee pain when compared to standard of care. Also, when the better quality studies were considered, acupuncture was better at relieving knee pain when treatment modalities such as muscle strengthening exercise, weight loss and aerobic exercise were compared.
This thorough review paper again highlights the benefits of acupuncture, in this case for arthritic knee pain. Acupuncture should be considered as a treatment option for osteoarthritic knee pain.
(Source- Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 21 (2013))
This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.