Rapid Response

Acupuncture of the Knee

Authors: Emilio B. González, MD, FACP, FACR, Tracy Nguyen-Oghalai, MD

Abstract

Acupuncture, a treatment modality of traditional Chinese medicine, involves not only needle administration but also a strong patient-acupuncturist relationship.1 The European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommends acupuncture as part of a multidisciplinary approach to treat osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee2; however, the current literature regarding efficacy of acupuncture is inconclusive.

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References

1. Liu T, Liu C. Acupuncture for treating osteoarthritis of the knee and the hip. Arthritis Rheum 2006;54:3375–3377.
 
2. Manheimer E, Linde K, Lao L, et al. Meta-analysis: acupuncture for osteoarthritis of the knee. Ann Intern Med 2007;146:868–877.
 
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