Table 1: Literature search details
Databases Searched Keywords and MeSH Headings Number of Hits Number of relevant articles
PubMed NCBI Osteopathy, arthritis, knee 8801 50
PubMed NCBI CAM, knee, osteopathy 342 35
PubMed NCBI Acupuncture, osteoarthritis, knee 310 12
PubMed NCBI Randomized controlled trial, knee, osteoarthritis, acupuncture 141 10
As a weight-bearing joint, the knee may develop osteoarthritis over time due to “wear and tear”. This happens when the knee’s joint cartilage degrades and the bone underneath starts to deteriorate, causing pain, stiffness, swelling and compromised function of the joint. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of knee arthritis and affects mostly the middle-aged and the elderly (Srikulmontree 2012). To relieve symptoms, patients may resort to a variety of treatments such as exercise, drug therapy, surgery and alternative methods such as acupuncture. Acupuncture is a complementary or alternative medicine originating from ancient China. It consists of the insertion of needles into specific pressure points of the human body. It is believed to be a treatment for various conditions, particularly those associated with marked pain, such as knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, although acupuncture has been used for thousands of years (White and Ernest 2004) the efficacy of this treatment method has not been conclusively established. This critical literature review will compare two published papers that investigate the effect it has on patients with osteoarthritic knees.
Paper 1
Tukmachi et al (2004) investigated using the effectiveness of acupuncture both alone and as an adjunctive therapy for knee osteoarthritis using an open randomized control trial. Adult patients with a history of more than si...
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...ntree, T. 2012, "Osteoarthritis", American College of Rheumatology, .
Stinner, D.J. & Tennent, D.J. 2012, "Losses to Follow-up Presenta Risk to Study Validity", American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, , no. February 2012.
Suarez-Almzazor, M.E., Looney, C., Liu, Y., Cox, V., Pietz, K., Marcus, D.M. & Street Jr., R.L. 2010 September, "A Randomized Controlled Trial of Acupuncture for Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Effects of Patient-Provider Communication", Arthritis Care Res, vol. 62, no. 9, pp. 1229-1236.
Tukmachi, E., Jubb, R., Dempsey, E. & Jones, P. 2004, "The Effect of Acupuncture on the Symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis - an open randomised controlled study", Acupuncture in Medicine: Journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 14-22.
White, A. & Ernest, E. 2004, "A brief history of acupuncture", Rheumatology, vol. 43, no. 5, pp. 662-663.
Shiel W Jr.and Stoppler M. (2011). Osteoarthritis . Available: http://www.medicinenet.com/osteoarthritis/article.htm . Last accessed December 2013.
Osteoarthritis is not a curable condition, but it can be treated using both pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods. Mild analgesics are a common form of treatment for OA, including Acetaminophen and NSAIDs, taking into consideration other co-morbidities that may be present. It is recommended that adults over 75 years of age utilize topical NSAIDs rather than oral for treatment of the pain (Tugwell et al, 2012). Research by A...
Acupuncture is believed to be highly effective. In a nation-wide survey of acupuncture users, conducted by Dr. Claire M. Cassidy, 91.5% reported "disappearance" or "improvement" of symptoms after their treatment, 84% see their MDs less often, 79% use fewer prescription drugs, and 70% were able to avoid previously recommended surgery (http://www.acupuncture.com/Acup/AcuStats.htm). Said one man from San Francisco:
OA is a musculoskeletal disease that causes chronic joint pain and reduced physical functioning (Laba, brien, Fransen, & jan, 2013). Osteoarthritis (OA) is a non-inflammatory disorder of synovial joints that results in loss of hyaline cartilage and remodeling of surrounding bone. OA is the single most common joint disease, with an estimated prevalence of 60% in men and 70% in women later in life after the age of 65 years, affecting an estimated 40 million people in the United States (Goodman & Fuller, 2009). Women are more commonly affected after the age of 55, almost everyone has some symptoms by the age of 70 (Tan, Zahara, Colburn & Hawkins, 2013, p.78). Osteoarthritis can be described radiological, clinical, or subjective. It commonly affects hands, hips, knees, shoulders, and the spine (Walker, 2011, p. 14). Osteoarthritis is an intrinsic defect in the joint cartilage. Caused by slowly progressive deterioration of articular cartilage that is accompanied by degenerative bony changes, including thickening of the subchondral bone cyst, and formation of large bony protrusions (osteophytes) at the joint margins. Osteoarthritis usually occurs in the large weight bearing joints such as the knees and hips, as well as some of the smaller joints in the hands and feet (Ciccone, 2007,p. 229). ). It is predicted by 2020 to become the fourth leading cause of disability globally (Laba et al., 2013, p.2). According to Juby and Davis (2011), these changing demographics with the aging of the “baby boomer” generation will likely result in an increase in the prevalence of both degenerative and inflammatory arthritis, and timely access to appropriate care and maximization of therapeutic interventions will be vital to maintain indepe...
Potter, J. E., White, K., Hopkins, K., Amastae, J., & Grossman, D. (2010). Clinic Versus Over-
Arthritis affects people of all age groups. More than 100 types of arthritis are known. Among these osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis having the highest incidence. One of the major causes of chronic debilitation in industrialized nations is Osteoarthritis which results from damage to the joints, which may be due to trauma, infection, or age-related wear. Rheumatoid arthritis is encountered less frequently than osteoarthritis and is estimated to affect around one per cent of the world’s population. Amongst patients of Rheumatoid arthritis, women are three times more likely to be affected by this condition than men. This condition is caused by an inflammatory process where the body starts attacking itself. Rheumatoid arthritis also affects several joints, with inflammation sometimes seen in and around the lungs, the heart, the eyes and the skin. The most commonly reported complaint by arthritis patients is pain. The pain might be from the joint itself and be a result of inflammation, damage from the disease, or through daily wear and tear. Muscle pain is also common and is caused by having to force movements against stiff and painful joints. Although range of movement in the affected joint may be limited and uncomfortable, physical exercise has been shown to benefit those with arthritis. Physical therapy has been shown to significantly improve function, decrease pain in the long term and delay the need for surgery in advanced cases. The majority of arthritis cases occur among theelderly, however the disease can occur in children as well. Over 70% of the population that get affected by arthritis in North America are over the age of 65 (4). The disease occurs more commonly in females than males in all races, age groups, and ethn...
Public Health Reports (Interagency Team at NIMH and NIDA Studies How Acupuncture Works.) (1974-) , Vol. 95, No. 5 (Sep. - Oct., 1980), pp. 503-504
Mendelson G, Selwood TS, Kranz H, Loh TS, Kidson MA, Scott Ds. (1983). Acupuncture treatment of chronic back pain. A double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Medicine, 741), 49-55.
...lementary and Alternative Medicine. (2012). Acupunture: An Introduction. Retrieved on July 12, 2014 from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/introduction.htm
These alternative treatments include acupuncture, meditation, and therapy among many others.There is growing evidence that the desire for alternative medicine is expanding because people undergoing procedures in today’s health care system has had unmet needs as well as feelings of being uncared for (Acari & Flanagan, 2015). Alternative medicine is able to provide patients with treatments that provide relief for hard to cure problems such as back pain, neck pain, and arthritis. Many of these alternative treatments have been shown to be successful for various problems. The use of complimentary and alternative medicine as well as the open ended communication that holistic nursing provides is gaining popularity from patients who are fed up with traditional care and hospital
It is suggested that reflexology evolved from acupuncture and acupressure. Reflexology flourished in the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century, but did not appear in the United States until the early 1900's (http://lagunabeachca.com/reflexol.htm). Zone Theory Behind Reflexology According to reflexologists, stress, fatigue, illness, toxins, and inactivity are harmful influences on the body that can be healed through reflexology treatment. Reflexologists believe that the body can be divided into ten zones, five on each half of the body.
Simpson, J Keith. "The Five Eras of Chiropractic & the Future of Chiropractic as Seen
Acupuncture doesn’t allow people to get ahead of themselves like Victor did; the way of thinking brought about is that of a natural sense. The techniques of the alternative medicine allow people to remember how magnificent and sacred the human body is and realize that it cannot be created through lab work or perfected through medicine. With Western medicine, patients can take up to four or five medications before finding one that suits their needs and most can have many life threatening side effects. With acupuncture, it is one procedure and one attempt to heal a patient with NO major side effects. Acupuncture is a unique ancient art that is backed by thousands of years of Chinese thought and research and has been proven affective for many people and their illnesses.
...ear follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 280(14), 1238-1244.
"What Tests Might Be Ordered ." Penn Orthopaedics . N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. .