The effects of electro-acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on patients with painful osteoarthritic knees: a randomized controlled trial with follow-up evaluation.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relative effectiveness of electro-acupuncture (EA) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in alleviating osteoarthritic (OA)-induced knee pain.


METHODS
Single-blinded, randomized controlled study.


METHODS
Twenty-four (24) subjects (23 women and 1 man), mean age 85, were recruited from eight subsidized Care & Attention Homes for the elderly.


METHODS
Subjects were randomly assigned to the EA, TENS, or control groups. Subjects in the EA group (n = 8) received low-frequency EA (2 Hz) on two acupuncture points (ST-35, Dubi and EX-LE-4, Neixiyan) of the painful knee for 20 minutes. Subjects in the TENS group (n = 8) received low-frequency TENS of 2 Hz and pulse width of 200 micros on the same acupuncture points for 20 minutes. In both treatment groups, electrical treatment was carried out for a total of eight sessions in 2 weeks. Eight subjects received osteoarthritic knee care and education only in a control group. All subjects were evaluated before the first treatment, after the last treatment, and at 2-week follow-up periods.


RESULTS
After eight sessions of treatment, there was significant reduction of knee pain in both EA group and TENS group, as measured by the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) of pain (p < 0.01). Prolonged analgesic effect was maintained in the EA and the TENS groups at a 2-week follow-up evaluation. The Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUGT) score of the EA group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05), but such change was not observed in the TENS group.


CONCLUSIONS
Both EA and TENS treatments were effective in reducing OA-induced knee pain. EA had the additional advantage of enhancing the TUGT results as opposed to TENS treatment or no treatment, which did not produce such corollary effect.
Ng
M M L
MM
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
Leung
Mason C P
MC
Poon
D M Y
DM
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013997:Time Factors; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome