OBJECTIVE: In recent years, public health experts have concluded that the impact of osteoarthritis is equal in magnitude to that of cardiovascular disease. Osteoarthritis of the knee is prevalent in the elderly population; however, there are currently no effective treatments for this condition. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of "meridian-sinew release", a newly developed technique which entails using a meridian-sinew scope and a meridian-sinew knife to treat osteoarthritis of the knee. METHODS: Patients (n = 90) with knee osteoarthritis were prospectively randomized to meridian-sinew release therapy, acupuncture therapy, or drug therapy groups, respectively. Outcome evaluation included pain, stiffness, physiological function, total symptom score, and overall changes in the condition. RESULTS: After 12 weeks, patients' general assessment (GA) and doctors' general assessment (GA) of the condition were not significantly different among the three groups. However, significant differences in primary endpoint pain, joint stiffness, and total symptom score were found between the meridian-sinew group and the acupuncture group and between the meridian-sinew group and the control group (p < 0.05). No adverse events occurred during the trial. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that meridian-sinew release therapy can improve knee osteoarthritis, alleviate joint pain, and improve functional movement disorder. It is a safe and effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis.

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