Pain research & management
Frequency-Dependent Effects of Warm Needle Acupuncture in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis With Cold-Dampness Obstruction Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial
By Deng H, Su Q, Wang Y and 6 others.
Abstract
Background
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common chronic degenerative joint disease. Its rising incidence, driven by population aging and increasing obesity rates, imposes a growing socioeconomic burden. As a therapy integrating the dual merits of acupuncture regulation and thermal stimulation, warm acupuncture has been widely adopted for KOA, accompanied by a growing body of relevant research. However, standardized recommendations regarding optimal treatment frequency and course duration of warm needle acupuncture for KOA remain lacking.
Methods
A total of 84 eligible KOA patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to either a high-frequency group or a low-frequency group. The high-frequency group received 5 treatments per week for the first 2 weeks, whereas the low-frequency group received 2 treatments per week during the same period. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain score at the end of Week 2. Secondary outcomes included the WOMAC stiffness and function scores, active range of motion of the knee joint, medical infrared thermography data, quantitative scoring of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome classification, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Analyses were performed using generalized estimating equations.