title: Does osteoarthritis of the knee also have a psychogenic component? Psycho-emotional treatment with a radio-electric device vs. intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate: an open-label, naturalistic study.
abstract: This study is to compare, in patients suffering of knee joint disorder, the effects of intra-articular injection of Sodium Hyaluronate, and those of a treatment aiming at the improvement of the emotional status carried out by means of a Radio Electric Device (REAC). 30 subjects were divided into two groups: 15 who preferred a non-drugs approach (Group A) and 15 who preferred an infiltrative treatment (Group B). The evaluations were expressed for both pain level and knee bending and extension. Group A showed significant decrease in pain, stiffness, joint noises and intra-articular effusion, and significant improvement in motion range, without any patients worsening. 8 patients showed complete disappearance of pain in Visual Analog Pain Scale (VAS) evaluation, evident by a level of 0. The initial VAS results were between 8 and 4. One month after treatment's end, VAS results of the patients in Group A were between 3 and 0. Group B showed significant decrease in pain, stiffness, joint noises and intra-articular effusion, but no significant improvement in motion range; 2 of 15 patients showed worsening symptoms and no significant improvement in muscular hypotrophy. Initial VAS results were between 7 and 4. One month after treatment's end, VAS results were between 6 and 0.
authors.affiliation: Neuro-Psycho-Physical Optimization Dept., Rinaldi Fontani Institute, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castagna
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: Vania
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fontani
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aravagli
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mannu
authors.forename: Matteo Lotti
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Margotti
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000295:instrumentation; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006820:Hyaluronic Acid