• Horng HC
• Kuo CP
• Cherng CH
• Yeh CC
• Wang TC
• Liaw WJ
• Ko S-C
• Wong C-S

• Electric Stimulation Therapy / instrumentation
• Medicine, Chinese Traditional
• Meridians
• Osteoarthritis, Knee / therapy
• Pain Management / methods

Objective: The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine whether collateral meridian (CM) therapy was feasible in treating knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain.

Methods: Twenty-eight patients with knee OA and knee pain were randomly allocated to 2 groups. The CM group patients received CM therapy, whereas the control patients received placebo treatment for knee pain relief. Patients in the CM group received 2 CM treatments weekly for 3 weeks. The outcome measures were pain intensity on a visual analog scale, and knee function was determined using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index.

Results: In the CM group, the posttreatment visual analog scale and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index scores were lower than those of the control group; a significant reduction in pain intensity (P = .02, P = .01, respectively) and improvement in knee function (P = .04, P = .03, respectively) were shown in the CM group at the second and third week.

Conclusion: Collateral meridian therapy may be feasible and effective for knee OA pain relief and knee function recovery. Therefore, additional randomized control trials are warranted.

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