Effectiveness of Acupuncture as Adjunctive Therapy in Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Background: Evidence on the efficacy of acupuncture for reduc-ing the pain and dysfunction of osteoarthritis is equivocal. Objective: To determine whether acupuncture provides greater pain relief and improved function compared with sham acupunc-ture or education in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Design: Randomized, controlled trial. Setting: Two outpatient clinics (an integrative medicine facility and a rheumatology facility) located in academic teaching hospi-tals and 1 clinical trials facility. Patients: 570 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee (mean age [±SD], 65.5 ± 8.4 years). Intervention: 23 true acupuncture sessions over 26 weeks. Con-trols received 6 two-hour sessions over 12 weeks or 23 sham acupuncture sessions over 26 weeks. Measurements: Primary outcomes were changes in the Wes