| BackgroundIn the deepening of the aging of the population today, osteoarthritis of the knee as a teratogenic and common disease in the elderly, has increasingly become the heavy burden of social and the family of the patients. Acupuncture, as a green and efficient therapy, is gradually accepted by patients. However, the acupoints that are used to treat the KOA usually limited on the local areal of the affected knee, which is not so simple and convenience in the operation. So to explore a set of reliable and effective acupoints to raise the curative effect and operability is needed.ObjectiveA randomized controlled trial is taken to discuss the efficacy of the acupoint, which are selected in the guidance of the theory of stomach meridian-pericardium meridian connection, in treating knee osteoarthritis with lateral knee pain as mainly symptom. This research aims to provide a new choice in treating this disease.Methods61 patients with knee osteoarthritis,who were selected from the TCM Department of University City Branch and Dade Street Branch of the Guangdong Province Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital and accorded with the inclusion criteria, were randomly divided into the treatment group (31 patients) and the control group (30 patients).The treatment group was treated with acupuncture at Nie guan and Daling, while the control group at conventional acupoint All these points were retained for 30 min. Being treated every other day,3 times a week, and 4 weeks for a course of treatment, the results are evaluated after 1 course of treatment. The score tables of WOMAC and Lequesne M G were needed to filled before and after treatment. Then the data was input into the computer and processed with SPSS22.0 statistical software. The qualitative data was analysed by Chi square test, ordinal variable data calculated by Wilcoxon rank sum test, quantitative data processed with T-text. Comparison between the two groups is expressed by independent T-test, the self AP comparison by pair T-test and t’test for heterogeneity of variance. Finally, the efficacy of two methods is evaluated.Results(1)The age,gender, cause of disease, scores of WOMAC and Lequesne M G have shown no significant statistical difference(P>0.05), so they are comparable and their base line are identical.(2)After treatment, the total score and sub-item of WOMAC and Lequesne M G for both groups show statistical significance(P<0.05), which indicated that both groups have curative effect in improving pain and stiffness and adverse events etc.(3)After treatment, the difference of pain, adverse events and total score of WOMAC and Lequesne M G between two groups have statistical significance(P <0.05), while the difference of stiffness show no statistical difference(P >0.05). It indicated that acupuncture at Nie guan and Daling in the guidance of the theory of stomach meridian-pericardium meridian connection has better curative effect than conventional acupuncture in improving pain and adverse events,but show no difference in improving stiffness of knee.(4) In the treatment group,7 cases were cured,21 cases effective,2 cases ineffective and the total effective rate is 93.33%. In the control group,2 cases markedly effective,23 cases effective,6 cases ineffective, and the total effective rate is 80.65%. The rank sum test show that the difference between groups was significant (P<0.05). The total efficiency of the treatment group was better than the control group.Conclusion(1)The treatment group and the control group both can relieve the patients with knee osteoarthritis pain, stiffness and and adverse events etc. and improve the quality of life.(2)The treatment group play a better work in improving pain and adverse events etc. than the control group, but show no difference in improving stiffness of knee.In summary, with the guidance of the theory of stomach meridian-pericardium meridian connection, choosing the Neiguan and Daling to treat the knee osteoarthritis with lateral knee pain as mainly symptom has curative effect. And in improving the patients suffering from pain, function and other aspects of the effect is better than the conventional local acupuncture method. So it can be well used in our clinical works. |
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