We report the effect of electrical acupuncture therapy (Tsukuba method) on 10 patients with primary osteoarthritis of the knees.
We applied acupuncture to the sites of muscle induration and tenderness determined by physical examination and palpation. Pains during walking and when standing -up were releaved in all patients who received the treatment. Activities in daily life showed various responses to our treatment. No improvement in symptoms was found in three patients when they were going up and down staircases or sitting on tatami with their knees fully flexed. We consider that these differences in response are related to the degree of myatrophy, contracture, and stenosis of the joint space.