Auriculotherapy for Osteoarthritis Knee

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis in Hong Kong and a prevalent condition in the ageing population. With disease progression, some clients may develop severe pain and profound limitations in ambulation, which may result in morbidity and impaired physical functions. Among the available treatments, pharmacological therapies primarily focus on musculoskeletal pain relief. However, adverse effects, such as gastrointestinal haemorrhage arising from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have led to an increasing number of concerns regarding the use of these treatments. Other non-invasive complementary methods for osteoarthritic knee (OA knee) should be explored because of the limitations of pharmacological therapy. Auriculotherapy (AT) is one of the approaches in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is a therapeutic method by which specific points on the auricle are stimulated to treat various disorders of the body. The present study is a four-arm randomised controlled study to determine the effectiveness of AT using magneto-AT (MAT) and/or laser AT (LAT) to improve the conditions of elderly patients suffering from OA knee. The effectiveness of MAT and LAT in terms of alleviating pain, relieving stiffness and promoting a range of motion, and enhancing functional abilities will be determined. Subjects in 'Treatment arm 1' will receive MAT on specific auricular points on one side of the ear during each treatment session. A deactivated laser will be used to achieve the effect of subject blinding. Subjects in 'Treatment arm 2' will receive LAT using low-energy laser applied to selected acupoints of the ear, and a plaster centred with a portion of Junci Medulla that mimics MAT treatment will also be given. Subjects in 'Treatment arm 3' will receive a combined approach (both MAT and LAT). Subjects in the 'placebo arm' will serve as placebo controls. Six auricular acupoints that are considered to have an effect on the OA knee will be selected. Only one