On Pins and Needles: Acupuncture for Arthritis Relief

By: Christine Haran
For people with arthritis, popping a pill does not always provide all of the pain relief they are seeking. A new study demonstrates that acupuncture can complement conventional therapies by easing pain and improving function in people with osteoarthritis of the knee.
"We have a result that suggests, in the largest, longest and most rigorously conducted study of acupuncture ever, that we have a new adjunctive therapy for individuals with degenerative arthritis." said Stephen E. Straus, MD, the director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the agency that co-sponsored the study, at a press conference.

The 26-week study, published in December 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at 570 patients. Researchers from the University of Maryland divided participants into three groups. One group received 23 sessions of acupuncture, an ancient Chinese therapy in which needles are placed in certain parts of the body; another group received sham acupuncture, in which not all of the needles pierced the skin; and the third group took part in an osteoarthritis education program.

All of the participants continued their existing treatment regimens, which included acetaminophen (Tylenol), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, a class of drugs called COX-2 inhibitors, and narcotic pain relievers. (Recently, the safety of COX-2 inhibitors, and an NSAID called naproxen, which is sold over-the-counter as Aleve, has been questioned because of potential links to heart problems.)


The University of Maryland researchers found that eight weeks into the study, those in the acupuncture group had a greater improvement in function, such as walking and stair climbing, than the sham acupuncture group, though not in pain relief. After 26 weeks, the acupuncture group had greater improvements in both pain and function than the other groups. The researchers also noted that there were few side effects associated with acupuncture, though by week 26, 25 percent of participants in each acupuncture group dropped out, possible because of the frequency of treatment.

Osteoarthritis is the major cause of functional limitations among patients 65 and older who are living in the community. Acupuncture is thought to relieve arthritis pain by stimulating the nervous system. The study authors noted, however, that the new findings only apply to people with pain in their knees, and not to those with arthritis in their hips or hands, for example, because this study was limited to people with osteoarthritis of the knee.

If you have osteoarthritis of the knee, "you should talk to your physician and discuss your individual situation." said study author Marc C. Hochberg, MD. "Make sure you have the correct diagnosis and after that, that you?re looking at the non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapies, including education, exercise and weight loss as well as acupuncture?We?re not looking only at one therapy, but a combination that is best for that individual."