Objective To compare the efficacies of electrothermal needle acupuncture versus nimesulide in treating knee osteoarthritis and the relieving effects of them on the pain and explore the possible mechanism of electrothermal needle treatment for knee osteoarthritis.Method Eighty patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated to electrothermal needle and Western medicine groups, 40 cases each.The electrothermal needle group received electrothermal needle therapy and the Western medicine group took nimesulide sustained-release tablets.The therapeutic effects were compared after thecompletionof treatment.Therelieving effects of the two treatments on the pain were evaluated using the Pain Visual Analogue Scale(VAS).Serum SOD and MDA were measured in all the subjects before and after treatment.Result The marked efficacy rate and the total efficacy rate for knee osteoarthritis were higher in the electrothermal needle group than in the Western medicine group.There was no significant post-treatment difference in the VAS pain score between the electrothermal needle and Western medicine groups.After treatment, serum SOD increased and MDA decreased in the electrothermal needle group and they did not change significantly in the Western medicine group.Conclusion Electrothermal needle therapy can well relieve the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis.Its relieving effect on the pain is equal to that of nimesulide.The mechanism of electrothermal needle treatment for knee osteoarthritis may be relatedto its improving bodilyoxidative stress levels.

Objective To compare the efficacy of ozone injection plus electrothermal acupuncture versus oral glucosamine and nimesulide in treating knee osteoarthritis and investigate the effects of the two treatments on the WOMAC total score and the pain, stiffness and physical function scores.Method Eighty patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated to combination and Western medicine groups, 40 cases each. The combination group received a combined treatment with intra-articular ozone injection and electrothermal acupuncture and the Western medicine group took glucosamine hydrochloride and nimesulide sustained-release tablets. The WOMAC score was recorded in the patients before and after treatment. The therapeutic effects were evaluated using the WOMAC score. Result The control and marked efficacy rate of ozone injection plus electrothermal acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis was higher than that of Western medicine. The WOMAC score decreased in both groups after treatment (P<0.05) but decreased more in the combination group than in the Western medicine group (P<0.05). There were no significant post-treatment differences in the pain and stiffness scores between the combination and Western medicine groups (P>0.05). The physicalfunction score decreased more in the combination group than in the Western medicine group (P<0.05).Conclusion Ozone injection plus electrothermal acupuncture is more effective than Western medicine in treating knee osteoarthritis. It is more effective in improving knee function but not in relieving the pain and joint stiffness in comparison with Western medicine.