The effect of acupuncture with gold, steel and placebo needles on joint pain in knee osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a serious health issue and economic burden worldwide. Several treatment modalities have been proposed, each with its own limitations. Systematic reviews advocate the use of acupuncture for knee OA. Regarding the anti-inflammatory effects of gold, it was assumed that acupuncture with gold needles may have added value compared with the conventional stainless steel needles.

In a randomized controlled trial, 45 patients with knee OA grade two or three according to the Kellgren Lawrence criteria were enrolled. Pain severity score was evaluated at baseline. Patients were randomly allocated into three groups of acupuncture with gold, steel, or placebo needles for ten sessions over a period of 4 weeks. Participants were followed for 12 weeks after the end of treatment sessions.
Results. The pain score was lower in the acupuncture groups than in the placebo group, but the difference between gold and steel acupuncture groups was not statistically significant.

Acupuncture with conventional needling is an effective and well-tolerated method for the management of knee OA.