Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
School of Medical & Health Sciences, Tung Wah College, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
J Orthop Surg Res. 2021 Apr 27;16(1):282. doi: 10.1186/s13018-021-02398-2.
Osteoarthritis of the knee is a common degenerative joint disorder in our ageing population. A combination of thermal therapy with a self-management exercise have shown a positive effect in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of topical heat pack versus focal application of heat therapy at the acupressure points in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.
A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 76 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, diagnosed by an experienced orthopedic surgeon. Following inclusion and exclusion selection, patients were randomly allocated to group 1 (Heat pack) or group 2 (Thermal gun). All patients received 30 min of treatment in each session, twice a week for 4 weeks. They also received an education program and taught home knee exercises. Outcome measurements were the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain intensity, muscle power, knee ROM, WOMAC and SF-12v2.
In the Thermal gun group, function and total scores (WOMAC) and Physical Composite Scale (SF-12v2) were significantly improved after 8 sessions. Quadriceps strength was significantly improved after 8 weeks (from 4.42 to 4.63; p = 0.02). In the Heat pack group, flexion was significantly improved after 8 sessions (p = 0.02). Mean VAS scores after Heat pack treatment was consistently better (lower) than mean VAS scores after Thermal gun treatment.
The combination of focal thermal therapy at acupressure points is a viable conservative treatment in osteoarthritis of the knee. The pressure at the acupressure points has a synergistic benefit than topical thermal therapy alone.
ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT04735029 Date of registration: February 2, 2021 (Retrospectively registered).
膝关节骨关节炎是我们老龄化人群中常见的退行性关节疾病。热疗与自我管理运动相结合已被证明对膝关节骨关节炎的治疗有积极影响。本研究旨在比较热包与穴位热疗仪在治疗膝关节骨关节炎中的疗效。
对 76 例经经验丰富的骨科医生诊断为膝关节骨关节炎的患者进行了一项随机对照试验。经过纳入和排除选择后，患者被随机分为 1 组（热包）或 2 组（热枪）。所有患者在每次治疗中接受 30 分钟的治疗，每周两次，共 4 周。他们还接受了教育计划并教授家庭膝关节锻炼。疗效评估采用视觉模拟评分法（VAS）评估疼痛强度、肌肉力量、膝关节活动度、WOMAC 和 SF-12v2。
在热枪组中，8 次治疗后功能和总分（WOMAC）以及生理综合量表（SF-12v2）显著改善。股四头肌力量在 8 周后显著改善（从 4.42 到 4.63；p = 0.02）。在热包组中，8 次治疗后膝关节屈曲度显著改善（p = 0.02）。热包治疗后的平均 VAS 评分始终优于热枪治疗后的平均 VAS 评分。
穴位热疗仪的穴位热疗是膝关节骨关节炎的一种可行的保守治疗方法。穴位压力比单纯的外用热疗具有协同作用。
ClinicalTrials.gov，NCT04735029 注册日期：2021 年 2 月 2 日（回顾性注册）。
