Xin-Yuan Liu,1 Yue Ma,2 Zong-Yue Huang,2 Xin-Xin Xiao,2 Ling Guan1 

1Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Sixth Medical Center, Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing,People’s Republic of China; 2Graduate School, Chinese People’s Liberation Army Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Ling Guan, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Sixth Medical Center, Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, Email guanling301@sina.com

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of acupuncture, exercise rehabilitation, and their combination in treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA).
Methods: This randomized controlled trial was done on patients with KOA, who were randomly allocated to three groups: acupuncture (AP), exercise rehabilitation (ER), or a combination of acupuncture and exercise rehabilitation (AE). The study lasted 12 weeks with 4 weeks of treatment and 8 weeks of follow-up. The primary outcome was the response rate, which was determined by the percentage of participants who experienced a significant improvement in pain and function by the fourth week. The primary analysis utilized a Z test for proportions in the modified intent-to-treat population, consisting of all randomized participants with at least one post-baseline measurement.
Results: Out of the 120 patients initially enrolled in the study, 110 completed the trial and were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. Response rates at week 4 were 65.7% (23 out of 35), 58.3% (21 out of 36), and 83.3% (32 out of 39) in the AP, ER, and AE groups, respectively. The response rate in the AE group was found to be significantly higher than that in the ER group at week 4. No significant differences were observed in the overall response rates between the AP and ER groups, as well as between the AP and AE groups.
Conclusion: Our research indicates that both acupuncture and exercise rehabilitation can effectively enhance pain relief, functional improvement, and joint mobility in individuals aged 45 to 70 with moderate to severe chronic KOA. Furthermore, the AE group demonstrated the highest response rate. These beneficial outcomes were sustained for a minimum of 8 weeks post-treatment. The combination of acupuncture and exercise rehabilitation appears to enhance the overall therapeutic efficacy for KOA patients, suggesting a synergistic effect that may be particularly advantageous for those with moderate to severe symptoms.

Keywords: knee osteoarthritis, acupuncture, exercise rehabilitation