Effectiveness of Acupotomy Combined with Topical Diclofenac for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Du K, Cheng WZ, Li A, Zhang CY, Yan SY, Han F, Guo R, Chen P, Du WS, Zuo YL, Zuo QH, Li SM · Journal of Pain Research · 2025 December
DOI 10.2147/JPR.S571098
Objective
To investigate if acupotomy, combined with topical diclofenac diethylamine emulgel, can reduce pain and improve functional outcomes in knee osteoarthritis patients compared to topical diclofenac alone.
Conclusions
Acupotomy combined with topical diclofenac was found to effectively reduce pain and improve function in knee osteoarthritis patients, making it a potential adjunctive therapy.
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Insights
The combination of acupotomy and topical diclofenac visibly reduces pain and improves functional performances in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
This randomized clinical trial was conducted with participants aged 40 to 80 suffering from knee osteoarthritis and experiencing a pain score of 4 or more. They were randomly assigned to one of two groups--a control group that used topical diclofenac four times daily, and an intervention group that also received four acupotomy sessions in addition to the diclofenac treatment. The primary goal of the trial was to determine the proportion of participants who experienced notable improvements in pain and function.
Discussion of Results: After 4 weeks, the response rate was much higher in the acupotomy group compared to the control group. This improvement was still evident at week 24. Secondary outcomes demonstrated a greater improvement in pain and function scores in the acupotomy group at all points during the trial. The results suggest that acupotomy can effectively enhance the pain reducing and functional improvement effects of topical diclofenac in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis. The limitation of the trial resides in the inability to blind the participants and practitioners due to the nature of the intervention.
