A comparison of jade moxibustion and traditional moxibustion in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Background: This study was developed to compare the relative clinical efficacy of traditional moxibustion and Jade moxibustion in an effort to define the most effective approaches to treating knee osteoarthritis. Methods: In total, 94 patients were randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to the traditional moxibustion (TM) and Jade moxibustion (JM) groups. For JM, a jade kneepad was preheated for 3 minutes via electrification, with the jade in the kneepad being pressed onto acupoints when reaching an initial temperature of 46°C. For patients in the TM group, moxa cones were applied to acupoints for treatment. In total, 12 treatments were performed for patients in each group, with treatment being conducted 3 times per week. Study outcomes included 36-item short-form health survey and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index knee stiffness scores. In addition, serum levels of osteoarthritis-related cytokines were measured. Results: Overall, 89/94 patients completed this study, including 44 and 45 in the TM and JM groups, respectively. The 36-item short-form health survey physical functioning at weeks 12 and 24 (P =.033, 0.001), role-physical at weeks 4 and 24 (P =.030, 0.014), and role-emotional at week 4 (P =.045) were the only scores to differ significantly between the TM and JM groups. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index stiffness scores in the JM groups improved significantly relative to baseline at weeks 4, 8, 12, and 24 (all P .05). Serum Interleukin-2 levels were lower in both groups (all P .05). Conclusion: These results suggest that JM treatment can improve knee osteoarthritis patient quality of life, alleviating joint stiffness and restoring joint function with a level of efficacy comparable to TM.