/ Health Concerns / Musculoskeletal & Pain

Knee Osteoarthritis

Overview

The effectiveness of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis pain was categorized as having "evidence of potential positive effect" in the U.S. Veterans Affairs (USVA) Evidence Map of Acupuncture (2014). A network meta-analysis involving 152 studies and 22 different interventions found that acupuncture was comparable to balneotherapy and superior to muscle-strengthening exercises, Tai Chi, weight loss, standard care, and aerobic exercise, ranked accordingly. Additionally, in a sub-analysis of studies acupuncture was also found to be more effective than standard care and muscle-strengthening exercises.

Furthermore, a systematic review of 12 randomized controlled trials indicated that acupuncture significantly reduced pain intensity and improved functional mobility and quality of life for patients with knee osteoarthritis. Subgroup analysis revealed that treatment durations exceeding four weeks led to greater reductions in pain intensity. The reviewers concluded that current evidence supports the use of acupuncture as an alternative to traditional analgesics for patients with osteoarthritis.