Acupuncture therapy for osteoarthritis: Role and effectiveness(การฝังเข็มเพื่อรักษาโรคข้อเสื่อม)

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease, is the most common form of arthritis. At present, there is no cure treatment for OA. Supportive and symptomatic treatment such as pain relief and improvement of joint function are recommended. However, many pharmacologic treatments were reported to associate with significant side effects. Acupuncture is one of a promising therapy which was widely studied for OA treatment. The present review focuses on the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of osteoarthritis.