title: [Observation on the efficacy of acupuncture and fire needle therapy for hand osteoarthritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify the clinical efficacy of shu-stream point acupuncture combined with fire needle therapy in the treatment of hand osteoarthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty cases were randomized into an acupuncture group (shu-stream point acupuncture combined with fire needle therapy) and a medication group(votalin emulgel). For the 42 cases in the acupuncture group, acupuncture at shu-stream points on the three yang meridians of the hand including Sanjian (LI 3), Zhongzhu (TE 3), Houxi (SI 3) and fire needle at Ashi points were applied, the treatments were given once every other day, 15 times as a treatment course. For the 38 cases in the medication group, votalin emulgel was prescribed for local embrocation, twice a day, 30 days as a treatment course. The visual analogue scale (VAS) of arthralgia, joint function score and the duration of morning stiffness, joint tenderness, swelling were observed before and after treatment in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After two courses of clinical treatment, the VAS score of arthralgia, joint function score and the duration of morning stiffness, joint tenderness, swelling were statistically significant differences as compared with before treatment (all P < 0.01 ), the efficacy in the acupuncture group was superior to that in the medication group (all P < 0.01 ). The cured-markedly effective rate and total effective rate were 61.9% (26/42) and 95.2% (40/42) in the acupuncture group, and 36.8% (14/38) and 76.3% (29/38) in the medication group respectively, with statistically significant differences between the two groups (both P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Shu-stream point acupuncture combined with fire needle therapy achieves a significant efficacy in the treatment of hand osteoarthritis.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Department, People's Hospital of Binzhou City, Binzhou 256610, Shandong Province, China. lihe64@126.com
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Department, People's Hospital of Binzhou City, Binzhou 256610, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Feng-Hua
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Department, People's Hospital of Binzhou City, Binzhou 256610, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Cun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D050823:Hand Joints / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*