Source: American College of Rheumatology (ACR)

NEWSWISE Medical News, 17-Oct-2004 --

Traditional Chinese acupuncture - the use of fine needles inserted into the skin at precise points - in conjunction with medical treatment reduces pain and improves function in patients with knee osteoarthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is a chronic disease. It causes the breakdown of cartilage, the shock absorbing tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint, resulting in pain and loss of motion. Today, more than half of the 35 million people in the U.S. age 65 and older have evidence of osteoarthritis in at least one joint.

To study therapies for the disease, 570 patients, average age 65.5 years, with osteoarthritis of the knee participated in a 26-week randomized controlled trial. The patients were divided into three groups, each group undergoing either traditional Chinese acupuncture (needling of a predefined set of points according to the diagnosis of Bi syndrome) or sham acupuncture (tapping of needles at the same predefined set of points), or participating in the Arthritis Self-Help Course while continuing their regular medical regimen.

Patients randomized to acupuncture received a total of 23 treatments from licensed, trained and certified acupuncturists. Patients in the education group participated in two-hour group sessions over a 12 week-period. All were advised to continue regular analgesic or anti-inflammatory treatment as needed. Prior to and throughout the study, participants' arthritis pain and function levels were compared using the WOMAC Osteoarthritis index, a questionnaire used to measure pain, function and stiffness of the knee. At the end of 26 weeks, there was a greater decrease in pain subscores and improvement in function subscores for patients in the acupuncture group than for those int eh group receiving sham acupuncture (-3.79 and -12.42 respectively for pain and function in the acupuncture group versus -2.92 and -9.87 in the sham acupuncture group).

Acupuncture, which was cited in 1997 by a National Institutes of Health panel as an acceptable treatment for many pain conditions, is one of the most popular complementary and alternative therapies within the U.S. attracting an estimated 15 million Americans. While previous individual studies of acupuncture as therapy for osteoarthritis have been small, and many clinicians doubted its effectiveness, data gained during this study confirmed a significant improvement in patients receiving traditional Chinese acupuncture therapy as compared to those in both the sham acupuncture and the education groups.

"These data show that traditional Chinese acupuncture provides clinically important relief of pain and improvement in function in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis when added to background therapy," said Marc C, Hochberg, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine and Head, Division of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, and an investigator in the study.

The American College of Rheumatology is the professional organization for rheumatologists and health professionals who share a dedication to healing, preventing disability and curing arthritis and related rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. For more information on the ACR's annual meeting, see http://www.rheumatology.org/annual.

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