ects (Sign, Berman, Hadhazy, and Bareta 59). Patients also commonly manage pain with pharmacological methods, rest, and distractions (Jakobsson 137). Acupuncture for treatment of arthritis is standard in Asian countries and results in few if any adverse effects (Sign, Berman, Hadhazy, and Bareta 59). While acupuncture has been shown to be effective for treatment of knee osteoarthritis, with patients reporting less pain and stiffness at eight weeks following acupuncture, differences between traditional and minimal acupuncture groups were not significant at 26 and 52 weeks. Thus, long-term acupuncture treatment effects remain unclear (Soloway 1).
The purpose of the study is to determine if acupuncture is effective as an alternative therapy for easing the pain of osteoarthritis of the knee in older women after 8, 26, and 52 weeks. Perceptions of pain prior to and following acupuncture treatments (at 8, 26, and 52 weeks) will be compared to test the following hypothesis: acupuncture will result in significantly decreased pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee in older women. This study is significant since patients with knee osteoarthritis who find that traditional treatment methods do not alleviate pain require an alternative treatment. The efficacy of acupuncture is in question and therefore findings are important since they will provide patient perceptions of this treatment modality regarding short- and long-term effects.
This literature review concerns the topic of acupuncture for pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee. The following areas relevant to this study are addressed: acupuncture practice; acupuncture for knee pain; short-term effects of acupuncture; and conclusions.
Acupuncture is a well-known alternative therapy, used years ago in China and currently practiced worldwide (Sierpina and Frenkel 330). Since the 1970s this treatment method has become more popular in the United States and Western world. The ...