Efficacy Observation of Fire Filiform-needle Therapy in Treating Elderly Knee Osteoarthritis / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the efficacy of fire filiform-needle therapy in treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in the elderly.Method Eighty-one elderly KOA patients were randomized into a treatment group of 42 cases and a control group of 39 cases following registration order. The treatment group was intervened by fire filiform-needle therapy, while the control group was treated with ordinary acupuncture. The two groups were treated once every other day, 15 sessions as a treatment course. The Lysholm knee score and short-form Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2 (AIMS2-SF) were adopted to observe the activities of daily living and quality of life before and after the treatment, and the clinical efficacies of the two groups were compared.Result The total effective rate was 92.9％ in the treatment group, versus 82.1％ in the control group, and the total effective rate in the treatment group was significantly superior to the control group (P<0.05). Except for the squatting item of the Lysholm knee score in the control group, the Lysholm knee score and AIMS2-SF score were significantly changed after the treatment in both groups (P<0.05,P<0.01); except for the support item of the Lysholm knee score, the treatment group was superior to the control group in comparing the Lysholm knee score and AIMS2-SF score after the treatment (P<0.01).Conclusion Fire filiform- needle therapy can significantly enhance the activities of daily living and quality of life in elderly KOA patients.