British researchers have found acupuncture offers an effective, low-cost alternative to knee surgery for osteoarthritis for many patients.
The new study, published online in the journal Acupuncture in Medicine, involved 90 patients with knee osteoarthritis, who were referred for group acupuncture to two knee pain clinics in St Albans, Hertfordshire, and monitored for two years.
The results showed the ancient Chinese therapy, administered by specially trained acupuncture nurses, significantly improved patient care and offered a viable alternative to expensive knee-replacement surgery.
The patients – with an average age of 71 years – referred to the clinics had severe symptoms, including constant pain and inability to walk, making them candidates for knee surgery. Fifty patients said they would be prepared to have surgery; four said they would only have the operation as a last resort; and the rest said they did not want surgery.
The patients were given acupuncture once a week for a month, then received treatments every six weeks. After just one month of treatment, patients showed clinically significant improvements in pain levels, stiffness, and functional capacity. The improvements continued throughout the two-year monitoring period, the researchers reported.