title: [Clinical study of treating knee osteoarthritis (Bi syndrome of knee) by massage combined Chinese materia medica footbath fumigation and washing].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical efficacy of treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA, Bi syndrome of knee) by massage combined Chinese materia medica (CMM) footbath fumigation and washing, and to observe the changes of the Lysholm knee score (LKSS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally 61 patients with grade I to III KOA were randomly assigned to two groups, the treatment group and the control group. Patients in the treatment group were treated with massage combined CMM footbath fumigation and washing, while those in the control group were treated with oral administration of meloxicam. They were treated for 20 days (times). The LKSS was assessed before treatment, 10 days of treatment, by the end of the treatment, and 1 month after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) The therapeutic efficacy in the treatment group was superior to that in the control group (P < 0.05). Thirteen cases were clinically controlled, with 11 markedly effective, 6 effective, and 1 ineffective in the treatment group, while 5 cases were clinically controlled, with 11 markedly effective, 10 effective, and 4 ineffective in the control group. (2) The LKSS: The post-treatment LKSS was higher than that before treatment in the two groups. The LKSS at 10 days (times) of treatment was lower in the treatment group than in the control group, but with no statistical difference (P > 0.05). The LKSS by the end of the treatment was higher in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). (3) The case number of patients in need of receiving the treatment again within 1-month follow-up and the difference between the LKSS at follow-ups and that by the end of the treatment were lower in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Massage combined CMM footbath fumigation and washing had better clinical efficacy on patients suffering from KOA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Central Hospital of China Aerospace Corporation, Beijing. zhoushaowen78@sina.com
authors.forename: Shao-wen
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yi-xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D001452:Balneology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage; D000077239:Meloxicam; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000628:therapy*; D013843:Thiazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D013843:Thiazines; D013844:Thiazoles; D000077239:Meloxicam