OBJECTIVETo assess the short-term and long-term therapeutic effect of warming needle moxibustion for treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

METHODSNinety cases were randomly divided into a warming needle moxibustion group, a western medicine group and a waiting group, 30 cases in each group. The warming needle moxibustion group was treated with warming needle moxibustion on Xuehai (SP 10), Dubi (ST 35) and Zusanli (ST 36), etc.; the western medicine group was treated with oral administration of Ibuprofen sustained release capsule; the waiting group did not receive any treatment. Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Chinese version of SF-16 were used to assess the therapeutic effect before treatment, after treatment and 10 weeks after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment for 2 weeks, the total effective rate was 86.7% in the warming needle moxibustion group, 90.0% in the western medicine group, and 60.0% in the waiting group, both the warming needle moxibustion group and the western medicine group being significantly better than the waiting group (both P<0.05) and with no significant difference between the warming needle moxibustion group and the western medicine group (P>0.05); 10 weeks after treatment, the total effective rate of 83.3% in the warming needle moxibustion group was better than that of 60.0% in the western medicine group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in comparison of WOMAC and SF-16 scores after treatment between the warming needle moxibustion group and the western medicine group, and the warming needle moxibustion group in improvement of these scores was superior to the western medicine group (P<0.01, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe therapy of warming needle moxibustion is effective for treatment of knee osteoarthritis, and the short-term therapeutic effect is same as that of oral administration of Ibuprofen and the long-term therapeutic effect is better than that of Ibuprofen.