Efficacy of Electro-acupuncture Versus Manual Acupuncture on Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA), also called degenerative knee disease, is one of the most common bone and joint diseases in clinic. It often occurs in middle-aged people, especially women. It was estimated to affect more than 9 million individuals in the United States in 2005 and is a leading cause of disability and medical costs. Most elderly people over the age of 65 have radiographic and/or clinical evidence of osteoarthritis. KOA is a lifelong disease which can lead to obvious pain, joint stiffness, limitation of activity and even joint failure or disability.According to the papers published in the past years, we find that acupuncture therapy for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis include manual acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, acupotomy, laser acupuncture, fire needle and so on, among which manual acupuncture and electro-acupuncture are most commonly used.The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of electro-acupuncture and manual acupuncture in reducing pain and improving function in patients with KOA.