Superficial Needling Acupuncture vs Sham Acupuncture for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Acupuncture has been an alternative approach for pain management, but trial evidence is conflicting.

Methods: Eighty-six patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio from June 14, 2017, to January 20, 2019, to receive either superficial needling acupuncture treatment or sham acupuncture for 10 sessions over a 4-week treatment period, followed by a 6-week follow-up period. The primary outcome was the change of pain intensity at week 4 measured using a 100-mm visual analogue scale.

Sinew acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a randomized sham-controlled trial.

Background: Sinew acupuncture is a new modality of acupuncture in which needles are inserted into acupoints, ashi points or spasm points of sinew and muscles along the meridian sinew pathway. A previous observational study revealed that sinew acupuncture has immediate analgesic effects on various soft tissue injuries, including knee injuries. However, no rigorous trials have been conducted.