Acupuncture Modalities Differentially Modulate Pain and Joint Damage in a Rat Model of Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of chronic pain and disability worldwide. Acupuncture-based therapies, including Electroacupuncture (EA), bee venom acupuncture (BVA), and laser acupuncture (LA), have shown individual efficacy in OA treatment, yet direct comparisons under standardized conditions remain lacking.

This study compared the therapeutic effects of EA, BVA, and LA in a monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)- induced OA in a rat model using consistent treatment protocols and evaluation metrics.

Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to six groups: control, OA, manual acupuncture (MA), EA, BVA, and LA. All treatments were administered at acupoint GB34 three times per week for four weeks, beginning one week after MIA induction. Pain behavior was assessed weekly via paw withdrawal threshold testing. Post-treatment analyses included micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging and histological evaluation.

EA and LA significantly alleviated pain behaviors beginning at Weeks 2-3 and demonstrated superior joint preservation and cartilage integrity by Week 4 (p < 0.001 vs OA). BVA produced early analgesic effects and moderate structural protection, MA showed partial therapeutic benefits. EA and LA yielded the most consistent and comprehensive improvements among the treatments.

LA and EA at GB34 could potentially improve pain hypersensitivity, bone structure, and cartilage degradation. Our study provides a direct comparison of LA, EA, MA, and BVA under standardized conditions and may inform patients and healthcare practitioners considering acupuncture therapy options for OA management.