[Long-term clinical effect of fire needling on knee osteoarthritis]

To observe the long-term clinical efficacy and safety of fire needling in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

Sixty patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomized into an observation group (30 cases, 4 cases dropped out, 1 case was eliminated) and a control group (30 cases, 4 cases dropped out, 2 cases were eliminated). Yanglingquan (GB34), Neixiyan (EX-LE4), Dubi (ST35), Xuehai (SP10), Liangqiu (ST34) and 1-2 ashi points on the affected side were selected in the two groups. Fire needling was applied in the observation group, while conventional filiform needling was applied in the control group. The treatments in both groups were delivered once every other day, 3 times a week for 2 consecutive weeks. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) score was observed before and after treatment, as well as at follow-ups of 6 months and 1 year after treatment completion, the clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated after treatment and at follow-ups of 6 months and 1 year after treatment completion.

After treatment and at 6-month follow-up, the pain, stiffness, difficulty in daily activities scores and total scores of WOMAC were decreased compared with those before treatment in both groups (P<0.05). At 1-year follow-up, the pain, stiffness, difficulty in daily activities scores and total score of WOMAC were decreased compared with those before treatment in the observation group (P<0.05), the pain score of WOMAC was decreased compared with that before treatment in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the pain score, stiffness score and total score of WOMAC in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). At 6-month follow-up, the pain, stiffness, difficulty in daily activities scores and total score of WOMAC in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). At 1-year follow-up, the stiffness score, difficulty in daily activities score and total score of WOMAC in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). At 6-month follow-up, the total effective rate was 76.0% (19/25) in the observation group, which was higher than 41.7% (10/24) in the control group (P<0.05). At 1-year follow-up, the total effective rate was 64.0% (16/25) in the observation group, which was higher than 33.3% (8/24) in the control group (P<0.05). No acupuncture-related adverse reactions or events occurred in the two groups.

Fire needling effectively improves the symptoms of KOA, and has a definite long-term clinical efficacy.