Another Review of the Literature Showing Acupuncture Best For Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Needle acupuncture for osteoarthritis of the knee. A systematic review and updated meta-analysis.
Cao L, Zhang XL, Gao YS, Jiang Y. Saudi Med J. 2012 May;33(5):526-32

To evaluate the efficacy of treatment with acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis.

METHODS:

We searched PUBMED, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from July to October 2011 for randomized controlled trials that compared needle acupuncture with sham acupuncture, standard care, or waiting list control groups in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Of the 490 potentially relevant articles, 14 RCTs involving 3,835 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Two authors independently extracted outcome data on short-term and long-term pain and functional measures.,,

CONCLUSION:

Acupuncture provided significantly better relief from knee osteoarthritis pain and a larger improvement in function than sham acupuncture, standard care treatment, or waiting for further treatment.