Objective: To observe the effectiveness of stiletto needle stimulation combined with massage in the treatment of dysfunction and pain of knee joints in knee osteoarthrosis (KOA) patients.
Methods: One hundred KOA outpatients and inpatients were randomly and equally divided into treatment and control groups. Patients of the treatment group were treated by using stiletto needle stimulation of 5-10 tender-points (at the medial collateral ligament, internal condyle of femur, medial condyle of femur, etc.) in combination with massage on the bilateral sides of the patella ligament, digital pressing of Liangqiu (ST 34), Xuehai (SP 10), Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Weizhong (BL 40), etc. Patients of the control group were treated by using massage therapy alone (the same to those mentioned above). Elasticity of the soft tissue[displacement value under 500 g pressure exerted on the tender-point surface; the banana area, i. e. , the absorbed energy of the soft tissue] was measured by using Soft-tissue Tension Detector. Dysfunction scores of the knee-joint (cure:91 -99 points; marked improvement: 75-90 points; improvement: 60- 74 points; invalid: no improvement) were assessed according to Jiang's method, and the therapeutic effect was evaluated in the light of "Criteria for Diagnosis and Therapeutic Effect Assessment of Illnesses or Clinical Conditions of Chinese Medicine" issued in 1994 in China.
Results: Comparison between pre- and post-treatment in the same one group showed that the displacement values and scores of pain, joint-movement and malformation, and total scores were increased significantly and the banana area reduced considerably in these two groups after the treatment (P < 0. 05), and the effects of the treatment group were apparently superior to those of the control group (P < 0. 05). Of the two 50 cases in the control and treatment groups, 10 (20%) and 33 (66%) had marked improvement, 33 (66%) and 14 (28%) were improved, and 7 (14%) and 3 (6%) invalid, with the effective rates being 86% and 94% , respectively. The markedly effective rate of the treatment group was apparently higher than that of the control group (P< 0. 05). No significant differences were found between the two groups in the scores of initiative extension range, walking abi-lity and daily life activities (P>0.05).
Conclusion: Stiletto needle intervention in combination with massage can effectively relieve dysfunction and pain of the knee joint in KOA patients.