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Objective To compare the efficacy of ozone injection plus electrothermal acupuncture versus oral glucosamine and nimesulide in treating knee osteoarthritis and investigate the effects of the two treatments on the WOMAC total score and the pain, stiffness and physical function scores.Method Eighty patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated to combination and Western medicine groups, 40 cases each. The combination group received a combined treatment with intra-articular ozone injection and electrothermal acupuncture and the Western medicine group took glucosamine hydrochloride and nimesulide sustained-release tablets. The WOMAC score was recorded in the patients before and after treatment. The therapeutic effects were evaluated using the WOMAC score. Result The control and marked efficacy rate of ozone injection plus electrothermal acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis was higher than that of Western medicine. The WOMAC score decreased in both groups after treatment (P0.05). The physicalfunction score decreased more in the combination group than in the Western medicine group (P<0.05).Conclusion Ozone injection plus electrothermal acupuncture is more effective than Western medicine in treating knee osteoarthritis. It is more effective in improving knee function but not in relieving the pain and joint stiffness in comparison with Western medicine.
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Objective To investigate whether inhibiting the expression of typeⅠ collagen gene is one of the mechanisms of action of electroacupuncture in improving knee osteoarthritis.Methods Forty male adult SD rats were randomized into normal, model, medication and electroacupuncture group, 10 rats each. A rat model of MIA-induced knee osteoarthritis was made by injecting monomer sodium iodoacetate (MIA) and driving rat movement. After model making, the medication group received an oral gavage of celecoxib dissolved in 10% DMSO and the electroacupuncture group, electroacupuncture at points Zusanli and Yanglingquan. Pain thresholds and the levels of cartilage expression of typeⅠ collagen mRNA were compared between various groups of rats before and after treatment.Results There was a statistically significant difference in pain threshold between the model, medication or electroacupuncture group of rats and the normal group after model making (P0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the expression of typeⅠ collagen mRNA between the model, medication or electroacupuncture group of rats and the normal group (P0.05).Conclusion The mechanisms of actions of electroacupuncture and medication in treating knee osteoarthritis may be related to inhibiting the expression of typeⅠ collagen mRNA.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy of warm needling moxibustion plus tricolor medicinal paste in treating knee osteoarthritis.MethodNinety-one patients meeting the diagnostic criteria were randomly allocated to a treatment group (45 cases) and a control group (46 cases). The treatment group was given warmneedling moxibustion plus tricolor medicinal paste and the control group, warm needling moxibustion alone. The clinical therapeutic effect and the WOMAC score were observed in thetwo groups. An improvement in the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis was assessed in the patients after treatment.ResultIn both groups, there were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the pain and daily activity scores and the WOMAC total score (P0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the daily activity score and the WOMAC total score (P0.05) between the two groups.Conclusion The study shows that warm needling moxibustion plus external application of tricolor medicinal paste has a marked improving effect on the pain, swelling and physiological functions in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Improving lower limb function further in daily activities can produce a satisfactory and stable therapeutic effect.
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Objective To explore the mechanism of therapeutic action of needle knife “regulating sinews and treating bones” on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) by observing the effect of needle knife intervention on KOA rabbit behaviors, mechanical characteristics of patellar ligament (PL), and expressions of interleukin-4 (IL-4), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) and aggrecan in knee cartilages.Methods Forty New Zealand rabbits were randomly allocated to blank, model, needle knife and electroacupuncture groups, 10 rabbits each. A rabbit model of KOA was made by the modified Videman method of immobilization in extension position. After model making, the needle knife and electroacupuncture groups received needle knife and electroacupuncture treatments, respectively. A behavioral assessment was made using the modified Lequesne MG knee grade evaluation method in every group after model making and treatment. The samples were taken after treatment. PL tension, stress relaxation and creep state were tested using a Bose Electro Force 3300 protracted test machine. Cartilage cell IL-4 expression was examined by ELISA. MMP-3 mRNA and aggrecan mRNA expressions were detected by real-time PCR.Results After model making, there was a statistically significant difference in the Lequesne MG score between the model and blank groups (P0.05). There was a statistically significant post-treatment difference in the Lequesne MG score between the needle knife or electroacupuncture group and the model group (P0.05).Conclusion The mechanism of action of needle knife treatment on KOA may be that it improves ligament mechanical characteristics, regulates intra-articular stress environment, and modulates aggrecan mRNA and MMP-3 mRNA expressions and inhibits cartilage degeneration through IL-4 mechanical signal pathway, to produce the therapeutic effect of “regulating sinews and treating bones”.
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Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of heat-sensitive point thunder-fire moxibustion in treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods One hundred and forty-eight KOA patients were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 74 cases each. The treatment group received heat-sensitive point thunder-fire moxibustion and the control group took diclofenac sodium enteric-coated tablets. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score and 50 yards fastest walking time were observed in the two groups before and after 30 days of treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups. Results There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the VAS score and WOMAC subscores in the two groups (P<0.01). There was a statistically significant pre-/post-treatment difference in 50 yards fastest walking time in the treatment group (P<0.05). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the VAS score, the WOMAC score and the WOMAC pain and stiffness scores between the treatment and control groups (P<0.01). There were statistically significant differences in the VAS and WOMAC scores at three months after treatment between the treatment and control groups (P<0.01). The total efficacy rate was 95.9%at the end of treatment and 95.6%at three months after treatment in the treatment group, and 86.1%at the end of treatment and 86.8%at three months after treatment in the control group; there were statistically significant differences between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Heat-sensitive point thunder-fire moxibustion is an effective way to treat knee osteoarthritis.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacies of ultramicro needle knife plus Maitland technique in treating knee osteoarthritis.MethodEighty patients were randomly allocated to observation and control groups, 40 cases each. The observation group received ultramicro needle knifeplus Maitland technique and the control group, Maitland technique alone. The subjects’ symptoms were scored using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Lysholm Knee Score Scale (LKSS) before and after four and six weeks of treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were evaluated in the two groups.ResultAfter four weeks of treatment, the total efficacy rate was 91.9% in the observation group (37patients) and 76.3% in the control group (38 patients); there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the VAS score and the LKSS score between after six and four weeks oftreatment in the control group (P<0.05). No adverse reactions occurred during the whole treatment course.ConclusionUltramicro needle knife plus Maitland technique is significantly superior to Maitland technique alone and can markedly relieve the pain and dysfunction in patients with knee osteoarthritis. It is characterized by short time to produce an effect, a lasting therapeutic effect and high safety.
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ObjectiveTo seek a convenient method for improving the clinical therapeutic effect on knee osteoarthritis.Method One hundred and eighty-six patients were randomly allocated to three groups, 62 cases each. The observation group received needle-sticking warm needling moxibustion plus articular cavity injection of sodium hyaluronate; control group 1, needle-sticking warm needling moxibustion; control group 2, articular cavity injection of sodium hyaluronate. Needle-sticking warm needling moxibustion was given once daily, five treatments followed by two days of rest, seven days as a course, for a total of five courses. Articular cavity injection of sodium hyaluronate was administered once a week, for a total of five injections. The therapeutic effects were compared after treatment.ResultA large part of the symptoms and signs resolved, and the cure rate, the cure and marked efficacy rate and the efficacy rate were 40.3%, 87.1% and 95.2%, respectively, in the observation group. Part of thesymptoms and signs resolved in control groups 1 and 2. The cure rate, the cure and marked efficacy rate and the efficacy rate were 24.2%,51.6%and 80.6%, respectively, in control groups 1 and 21.0%, 54.8% and 82.3%, respectively, in control groups 2. There were statistically significant differences in the cure rate (P<0.05), the cure and marked efficacy rate (P<0.01) and the efficacy rate (P<0.05) among the three groups. The therapeutic effect was significantly better in the observation group than in control groups 1 and 2.Conclusion Needle-sticking warm needling moxibustion plus articular cavity injection of sodium hyaluronate is clinically a better way to treat knee osteoarthritis.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy of fire needling plus filiform needles in treating knee osteoarthritis and its effect on the patients’ quality of life.MethodOne hundred and one patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated to fire needling, filiform needle and combination groups. They were treated with fire needling, filiform needles and fire needling plus filiform needles, respectively. An assessment was made using the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) in the 101 patients with knee osteoarthritis before and after treatment.ResultFire needling, filiform needles and fire needling plus filiform needles all had a marked therapeutic effect on knee osteoarthritis. The effect of fire needling plus filiform needles was better than those of fire needling and filiform needles (P<0.05,P<0.01). After four weeks of treatment, SF-36 quality of life item sub-scores increased in all the three groups of patients compared with before treatment (P<0.01); SF-36 role physical and general health scores were higher in the combination group than in the fire needling group (P<0.05, P<0.01); SF-36 physical functioning, role physical, general health, social functioning and mental health scores were higher in the combination group than in the filiform needle group (P<0.01).ConclusionFire needling plus filiform needles can effectively treat knee osteoarthritis and improve the patients’ quality of life. Its effects are superior to those of fire needling and filiform needles.