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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Apr 1;7(4):e245830.
doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.5830.

Self-Administered Acupressure for Probable Knee Osteoarthritis in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Wing-Fai Yeung  1   2   3 , Shu-Cheng Chen  1 , Denise Shuk Ting Cheung  4 , Carlos King-Ho Wong  5   6   7   8 , Tsz Chung Chong  9 , Yuen Shan Ho  1 , Lorna Kwai Ping Suen  10 , Lai Ming Ho  11 , Lixing Lao  12
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Self-Administered Acupressure for Probable Knee Osteoarthritis in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Wing-Fai Yeung et al. JAMA Netw Open. .

Abstract

Importance: The effects of self-administered acupressure (SAA) on knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain remain unclear.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of SAA taught via a short training course on reducing knee OA pain in middle-aged and older adults.

Design, setting, and participants: This randomized clinical trial was conducted among community-dwelling individuals in Hong Kong who were aged 50 years or older with probable knee OA from September 2019 to May 2022.

Interventions: The intervention included 2 training sessions for SAA with a brief knee health education (KHE) session, in which participants practiced acupressure twice daily for 12 weeks. The control group (KHE only) received only education about maintaining knee health on the same schedule and duration.

Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcome was the numerical rating scale (NRS) pain score at 12 weeks. Other outcomes included Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index, Short Form 6 Dimensions (SF-6D), Timed Up and Go, and Fast Gait Speed tests.

Results: A total of 314 participants (mean [SD] age, 62.7 [4.5] years; 246 [78.3%] female; mean [SD] knee pain duration, 7.3 [7.6] years) were randomized into intervention and KHE-only groups (each 157). At week 12, compared with the KHE-only group, the intervention group had a significantly greater reduction in NRS pain score (mean difference [MD], -0.54 points; 95% CI, -0.97 to -0.10 points; P = .02) and higher enhancement in SF-6D utility score (MD, 0.03 points; 95% CI, 0.003 to 0.01 points; P = .03) but did not have significant differences in other outcome measures. The cost-effectiveness acceptability curve demonstrated a greater than 90% probability that the intervention is cost-effective at a willingness to pay threshold of 1 GDP per capita.

Conclusions and relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, SAA with a brief KHE program was efficacious and cost-effective in relieving knee pain and improving mobility in middle-aged and older adults with probable knee OA.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04191837.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Wong reported receiving grants from EuroQol Research Foundation; AstraZeneca; Boehringer Ingelheim; the General Research Fund, Research Grant Council; and the Health and Medical Research Fund, Health Bureau outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Recruitment Flowchart
BMI indicates body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared); MoCA, Montreal Cognitive Assessment; NRS, numeric rating scale; OA, osteoarthritis.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Cost-Effectiveness Plane for Quality-Adjusted Life-Years After Self-Administered Acupressure or Knee Health Education for Knee Osteoarthritis
To convert Hong Kong dollars to US dollars, multiply by 0.13.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Cost-Effectiveness Acceptability Curve of Self-Administered Acupressure for Knee Osteoarthritis by Varying the Willingness-to-Pay Threshold Values
To convert Hong Kong dollars to US dollars, multiply by 0.13.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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