Clinical Effectiveness of Bee Acupuncture Therapy in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis on Symptoms Improvement and IL-6: A Randomized Controlled Trial
10.13288/j.11-2166/r.2024.18.010
- VernacularTitle:蜂针疗法对膝关节骨性关节炎患者症状、体征及关节液白细胞介素6水平影响的随机对照试验
- Author:
Ming XU
1
;
Ziling HUANG
1
;
Ziyi WANG
2
;
Xunrui HOU
1
;
Peiling ZHAO
1
;
Jingyan MEI
1
Author Information
1. Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550000
2. Guizhou University Hospital
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
knee osteoarthritis;
bee acupuncture therapy;
interleukin-6;
randomized controlled trial
- From:
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2024;65(18):1903-1908
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
ObjectiveTo observe the effect of bee acupuncture therapy on clinical symptoms and signs, as well as the level of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in synovial fluid of patients with knee osteoarthritis. MethodsThe 94 patients with knee osteoarthritis were divided into the control group and the trial group by the random number table method, with 47 cases in each group. Both groups were given one tablet (60 mg) of etoricoxib orally every morning for 2 weeks. The control group also received microneedle shallow acupuncture therapy, once a day for 5 consecutive times followed 2-day pause, and continued 5 consecutive times, as a course of treatment; the trial group was treated with bee acupuncture therapy once every 2 days, 2 times a week, and 4 times as a course of treatment. Both groups have a course of treatment for 2 weeks. The changes in clinical symptoms and signs of patients in the two groups were observed and evaluated before treatment, after 1- and 2-week treatment, and 12-week follow-up and the differences in Lequesne index scores, HSS scores, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores and IL-6 levels in knee synovial fluid between the two groups of patients were also compared. ResultsNo patients lost to follow up in either group. The Lequesne index scores and VAS scores were lower, and the HSS scores were higher in both groups at all time points after treatment compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). Compared at the same time after treatment, the Lequesne index scores and VAS scores of the trial group were lower than those of the control group, and the HSS scores were higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). IL-6 in synovial fluid was lower in the trial group at the 12-week follow-up than before treatment (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between two groups at each time point(P>0.05). ConclusionBee acupuncture therapy for knee osteoarthritis can significantly improve clinical signs and symptoms, but has no significant effect on the level of IL-6 in knee synovial fluid.