Acupuncture no better than placebo in knee osteoarthritis
Patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee who are treated with traditional Chinese acupuncture (TCA) do not experience any more benefit than those receiving sham acupuncture (placebo), according to researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States.
The team found that the communication style of the acupuncturist could have a significant effect on pain reduction and satisfaction in patients.
In the current study, Professor Maria Suarez-Almazor and colleagues compared the efficacy of TCA with sham acupuncture in OA of the knee, and researchers measured the effects of provider-patent interactions in the response to acupuncture.
Researchers found no statistically significant differences between patients in the TCA and those in the sham acupuncture group.
“We found a small, but significant effect on pain and satisfaction with treatment, demonstrating a placebo effect related to the clinician’s communications style,” said Dr. Suarez-Almazor.
Full findings are in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
