Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2008 Jul-Sep;31(3):247-54.
doi: 10.1097/01.FCH.0000324482.78577.0f.

Acupuncture and osteoarthritis of the knee: a review of randomized, controlled trials

Terry Kit Selfe  1 , Ann Gill Taylor
Affiliations
Review

Acupuncture and osteoarthritis of the knee: a review of randomized, controlled trials

Terry Kit Selfe et al. Fam Community Health. 2008 Jul-Sep.

Abstract

Osteoarthritis of the knee is a major cause of disability among adults. Treatment is focused on symptom management, with nonpharmacologic therapies being the preferred first line of treatment. Acupuncture is considered a potentially useful treatment for osteoarthritis. The objective of this article is to review the English-language articles, indexed in MEDLINE or CINAHL, describing randomized, controlled trials of the effects of needle or electroacupuncture on knee osteoarthritis. Ten trials representing 1456 participants met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. These studies provide evidence that acupuncture is an effective treatment for pain and physical dysfunction associated with osteoarthritis of the knee.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Lawrence RC, Helmick CG, Arnett FC, et al. Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and selected musculoskeletal disorders in the United States. Arthritis and Rheumatism. 1998;41(5):778–799. - PubMed
    1. Burkhardt C. Chronic pain. Nursing Clinics of North America. 1990;25:863–870. - PubMed
    1. Mathers CD, Bernard C, Iburg KM, et al. Global Programme on Evidence for Health Policy Discussion Paper No. 54. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2003.
    1. Felson DT, Naimark A, Anderson J, Kazis L, Castelli W, Meenan RF. The prevalence of knee osteoarthritis in the elderly. The Framingham Osteoarthritis Study. Arthritis and Rheumatism. 1987;30(8):914–918. - PubMed
    1. Guccione AA, Felson DT, Anderson JJ, et al. The effects of specific medical conditions on the functional limitations of elders in the Framingham Study. American Journal of Public Health. 1994;84(3):351–358. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types