Observations on the Efficacy of Acupuncture plus Manipulation in Treating Knee Osteoarthritis

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus manipulation in treating knee osteoarthritis. Method Fifty-one patients were randomly allocated to two groups. The treatment group of 27 cases received acupuncture plus manipulatory regulation of knee myodynamia as equilibrium therapy and the control group of 24 cases took diclofenac sodium extended-release tablets. Results There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in symptom and sign subscores, joint pain, swelling and function scores, and knee circumference score in both groups (P0.01). After treatment, they improved more in the treatment group than in the control group (P0.05). At the end of treatment and three months after, the overall therapeutic effect was better in the treatment group than in the control group (P0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture plus manipulation has a satisfactory therapeutic effect on knee osteoarthritis. Its after-effect is superior to that of diclofenac sodium extended-release tablets.