Objective To compare the clinical efficacy of soft-tissue relaxing needling and electroacupuncture(EA)in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis(KOA)

so as to explore a new and more effective therapy for KOA.Methods Forty patients with KOA who met our diagnostic criteria were randomly and equally divided into acupuncture group and soft-tissue relaxing needling(relaxing-needling)group.EA(20 Hz

a tolerable strength and duration of 20 min)was applied to the unilateral Neixiyan(EX-LE5)and Waixiyan(EX-LE5)

and manual acupuncture stimulation was applied to Heding(EX-LE2)

Xuehai(SP10)

Xiyangguan(GB33)

Liangqiu(ST34)

Yanglingquan(GB34)and Yinlingquan(SP9)on the affected side by using uniform reinforcing-reducing technique.In the relaxing-needling group

after identifying the tender point and nodule-like or stiff-strip-muscle spot at the affected limb by palpation

we used filiform needles to insert into them

then

made a longitudinal separation or point-like pricking.The visual analog scale(VAS)pain score

knee flexion activity(range of motion

ROM)

and the knee osteoarthritis severity(Lequesne index

composed of daily living

walking distance and pain)were measured before and after the treatment.The therapeutic effect was assessed by consulting the Guiding Principles for Researching New Drugs of Traditional Chinese Medicine(2002)and Criteria for Diagnosis and Assessment of Therapeutic Effect of Syndromes or Illnesses of Traditional Chinese Medicine(1994).Results After the treatment

the VAS score and Lequesne index were significantly decreased in both acupuncture and relaxingneedling groups(P<0.001)

and the ROM score was considerably increased in both groups in comparison with their own pretreatment(P<0.001).The difference values of VAS score and Lequesne index between pre-and post-treatment were significantly higher in the relaxing-needling group than in the acupuncture group(P<0.05).Of the two 20 cases in the relaxing-needling and acupuncture groups

8 and 3 experienced a remarkable improvement in their symptoms

10 and 13 were effective

2 and 4 failed

with the effective rate being 90.0% and 80.0%

respectively.No significant difference was found between the two groups in the difference value of ROM score and the effective rate(P>0.05).Conclusion Both relaxing-needling and EA therapies are comparable in the therapeutic effect for KOA

and the former is superior to the latter in reducing the joint pain and improving the knee joint locomotor function

thus being worthy of clinical application.