Acupuncture targeted at highly sensitized points may improve knee osteoarthritis symptoms and quality of life more than treatment at less sensitized points.
This single-blind pilot trial randomly assigned people with knee osteoarthritis to receive acupuncture at either highly sensitized acupuncture points or low-sensitization or non-sensitized points. Participants received acupuncture three times weekly for four weeks, with follow-up assessments of symptoms, quality of life, treatment attendance, participant retention, and adverse events over sixteen weeks.
Participants generally adhered well to treatment, and recruitment was completed within the planned period, although follow-up retention was lower than anticipated. Those treated at highly sensitized points had consistently lower or similar osteoarthritis symptom scores, including pain, stiffness, and physical functioning, compared with those treated at less sensitized points, with comparable patterns in quality of life and no reported adverse events.
