Osteoarthritis and Acupuncture

 
Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of arthritis of a joint and occurs when cartilage in the joint wears down over time. Osteoarthritis commonly effects the hands, knees and hips and leads to pain and decreased mobility in the joint. Acupuncture can help reduce your arthritis pain to help you stay active and doing what you love. 

A 2014 meta-analysis reviewed 12 clinical trials that included 1,763 patients with osteoarthritis who received acupuncture treatment. The study showed that 'acupuncture was associated with significant reductions in pain intensity, improvement in functional mobility and quality of life." The authors conclude that "current evidence supports the use of acupuncture as an alternative for traditional analgesics in patients with osteoarthritis." [1]

A 2013 meta-analysis compared the effectiveness of a variety of physical treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee. The largest number of high quality trials included in the study were for acupuncture treatment and muscle-strengthening exercise. Both interventions proved to be more effective then standard care. Acupuncture was statistically more effective then muscle-strengthening exercise. The authors concluded that the 'network meta-analysis results indicate that acupuncture can be considered as one of the more effective physical treatments for alleviating osteoarthritis knee pain." [2]

1. Manyanga T, Froese M, Zarychanski R, Abou-Setta A, Friesen C, Tennenhouse M, Shay BL. Pain management with acupuncture in osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014 Aug 23;14:312. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-312
2. Corbett MS, Rice SJ, Madurasinghe V, Slack R, Fayter DA, Harden M, Sutton AJ, Macpherson H, Woolacott NF. Acupuncture and other physical treatments for the relief of pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee: network meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Sep;21(9):1290-8. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2013.05.007