Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2025
Author Spotlight: Understanding the Mechanism of Tuina Manipulation in Rats
Published on: June 30, 2023
Short-term and long-term effectiveness of acupuncture and Tuina on knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a
Rui-Li Zhao1, Pei-Hong Ma1, Bao-Yan Liu2
1Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Background:
The effectiveness of acupuncture and tuina in treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is still controversial, which limits their clinical application in practice. This study aims to evaluate the short-term and long-term effectiveness of acupuncture and tuina on KOA.
Methods/Design:
This parallel-group, multicenter randomized clinical trial (RCT) will be conducted at the outpatient clinic of five traditional Chinese medicine hospitals in China. Three hundred and thirty participants with KOA will be randomly assigned to acupuncture, tuina, or home-based exercise group with a ratio of 1:1:1. The primary outcome is the proportion of participants achieving a minimal clinically important improvement defined as a ≥ 12% reduction on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain dimension on short term (week 8) and long term (week 26) compared with baseline. Secondary outcomes are knee joint conditions (pain, function, and stiffness), self-efficacy of arthritis, quality of life, and psychological conditions, which will be evaluated by the WOMAC score and the Patient Global Assessment (PGA), and in addition, the respondents index of OMERACT-OARSI, Short Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12), arthritis self-efficacy scale, and European five-dimensional health scale (EQ-5D). Adverse events will be collected by self-reported questionnaires predefined.
Clinical Trial Registration:
https://www.chictr.org.cn.
