Abstract
IntroductionKnee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic disease with symptoms of persistent pain or resting pain, joint stiffness, numbness, limitation of activity and even disability, with significant associated costs and effects on individuals’ life quality. The use of acupuncture for the management of chronic pain is receiving increasing recognition from both the public and professionals. The aim of this study is to identify the effects of three commonly used acupuncture treatments for KOA.Methods/analysisIn a prospective trial involving six hospitals in Zhejiang Province (China), 360 patients with KOA will be included. Eligible patients will be randomized into six groups: Acupuncture, Electro-acupuncture, Mild moxibustion, Warm-needling, Sham acupuncture and Celebrex treatment. Twelve treatment sessions will be performed over a 4-week period. The primary outcome will be the visual analogue scale and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) function scores (the average of the past 3 days) at weeks 2 and 4 and at 3-month and 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcome measures will be as follows: the WOMAC pain score and WOMAC stiffness score (the average of the past 3 days); the Physical Activity Scale of the Elderly (PASE); knee joint swelling measurement; the WHO Quality Of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) life quality scale; and the incidence of adverse events.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03563690. Registered on 2rd July 2018.
Highlights
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic disease with symptoms of persistent pain or resting pain, joint stiffness, numbness, limitation of activity and even disability, with significant associated costs and effects on individuals’ life quality
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 10% of people over 60 years of age in the world have KOA-related syndromes [1], while in China, the proportion has increased to 19.4% [2]
The protocol is based on the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) [19] and used the SPIRIT reporting guidelines [20]
Summary
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic disease with symptoms of persistent pain or resting pain, joint stiffness, numbness, limitation of activity and even disability, with significant associated costs and effects on individuals’ life quality. OA will become the fourth most disabling disease in the world by 2020 [3] At present, both drug and non-drug treatments are used to treat knee osteoarthritis, and the guidelines mainly recommend non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., celecoxib, acetaminophen), glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate [4,5,6,7]. Both drug and non-drug treatments are used to treat knee osteoarthritis, and the guidelines mainly recommend non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., celecoxib, acetaminophen), glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate [4,5,6,7] These drugs can relieve pain, they have some limitations; for example, acetaminophen is limited by a weak pain-relief effect, and dose increases are associated with side effects such as liver damage and gastrointestinal tract toxicity [8, 9]. Drug treatment is not the best choice for KOA, especially for elderly patients
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