Effect of fire needling on mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis and related serum inflammatory cytokines

Abstract

To compare the clinical effect of fire needling and filiform needling for mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and observe the influence on related serum inflammatory sytokines. A total of 60 patients with mild to moderate KOA were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 4 cases dropped off) and a control group (30 cases, 4 cases dropped off). Both groups were given basic health management, and the acupoints of the two groups were Liangqiu (ST 34), Xuehai (SP 10), Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Dubi (ST 35), Yanglingquan (GB 34) and ashi point. The observation group was treated with fire needling, while the control group was treated with filiform needling. Both groups were treated once every other day, 3 times a week for 2 weeks. The Western Ontario and McMaster University osteoarthritis index (WOAMC) scores of the two groups were compared before treatment, in 1, 2 weeks of treatment and 2, 6 weeks of follow-up. ELISA method was used to detect the levels of serum interleukin 1α (IL-1α), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) before treatment and in 2 weeks of treatment. The clinical effect of the two groups was evaluated in 1, 2 weeks of treatment and 2, 6 weeks of follow-up. At each time point of treatment and follow-up, the pain, stiffness, difficulty of daily activities scores and WOMAC total scores of the two groups were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05); the stiffness score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group in 1 week of treatment (P<0.05); the various scores and total scores of the WOMAC scale of the observation group were lower than those of the control group in 1, 2 weeks of treatment and 2, 6 weeks of follow-up (P<0.05). In 2 weeks of treatment, the levels of serum MMP-3 and IL-1α in the observation group and IL-1α in the control group were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05). In 1 week of treatment and 2, 6 weeks of follow-up, the total effective rates of the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Fire needling can improve the pain, stiffness and joint dysfunction of patients with mild to moderate KOA, and increase serum MMP-3 and IL-1α levels. Its short and long term clinical effects are better than filiform needling.