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International Journal of Frontiers in Medicine, 2025, 7(2); doi: 10.25236/IJFM.2025.070213.

Clinical Randomized Controlled Trial of Motion Acupuncture and Electroacupuncture in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis

Author(s)

Li Zhongshuang, Liao Mo

Corresponding Author:
Li Zhongshuang
Affiliation(s)

Rehabilitation Center, Dazhou Integrated TCM & Western Medicine Hospital, Dazhou, 635000, China

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of Motion Acupuncture in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). A total of 60 patients diagnosed with KOA were randomly assigned to either a Motion Acupuncture group or an electroacupuncture group, with 30 patients in each group. The Motion Acupuncture group received Motion Acupuncture therapy, while the electroacupuncture group underwent conventional electroacupuncture. Both treatments were administered once daily for 20 minutes over three consecutive days. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores were recorded before treatment and after each session, and the overall treatment efficacy was evaluated using the Patient Global Assessment (PGA) scale. After the first session, both groups showed significant improvements in WOMAC pain, physical function, and total scores (P < 0.05), while a significant reduction in stiffness was observed only in the Motion Acupuncture group (P < 0.05). Following the second session, all WOMAC subdomains and total scores improved significantly in both groups (P < 0.05). After the third session, further improvements were observed, with the Motion Acupuncture group showing a significantly greater enhancement in physical function compared to the electroacupuncture group (P < 0.05). The VAS scores also decreased significantly in both groups after each session (P < 0.05). The overall improvement rates in the Motion Acupuncture group were 83.3%, 96.7%, and 96.7% after the first, second, and third sessions, respectively—consistently higher than the electroacupuncture group, which showed improvement rates of 73.3%, 90.0%, and 88.7%, respectively. In conclusion, Motion Acupuncture demonstrates superior clinical efficacy compared to electroacupuncture in the treatment of KOA, particularly in alleviating pain.

Keywords

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA); Motion Acupuncture; Randomized controlled trial (RCT)

Cite This Paper

Li Zhongshuang, Liao Mo. Clinical Randomized Controlled Trial of Motion Acupuncture and Electroacupuncture in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis. International Journal of Frontiers in Medicine(2025), Vol. 7, Issue 2: 90-96. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJFM.2025.070213.

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