ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2016
Western medical acupuncture in a group setting for knee osteoarthritis: results of a pilot randomised controlled trial.
Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adjunctive therapies in addition to land-based exercise therapy for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Individual vs. Group Delivery of Acupuncture Therapy for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Urban Primary Care-a Randomized Trial.Journal of general internal medicine · 2020Trial
- Sessions of acupuncture and nutritional therapy evaluation for atrial fibrillation (Santé-AF): a randomised feasibility study.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2025Article
- Electroacupuncture Before Gastrectomy Accelerates Recovery from Gastrointestinal Dysfunction: A Feasibility Study.Medical acupuncture · 2022Article
- Acutherapy for Knee Osteoarthritis Relief in the Elderly: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2019Review
- Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Case Study.Medicines (Basel, Switzerland) · 2018Article
- The quality of reporting in randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional survey.PloS one · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundEvidence suggests acupuncture may be effective for treating the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Offering this in a group setting may offer cost savings. The aim of this study was to establish the feasibility of a definitive trial to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of Western medical acupuncture given in groups, or given individually, for adults with severe knee pain attributable to osteoarthritis.
methodsA pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) was conducted. Participants were recruited from seven general practices in Plymouth, Devon. Acupuncture was provided, at a dosage that increased up to and including electroacupuncture if no pain relief was reported, by one experienced acupuncturist in a community clinic. Potentially eligible adults aged at least 45 years with knee osteoarthritis were identified from practice registers, screened and randomised to either: (1) standardised advice and exercise booklet alone ('standard'); (2) booklet plus group acupuncture ('group'); and (3) booklet plus individual acupuncture ('individual'). Both acupuncture arms received up to ten treatments over 12 weeks. Recruitment, retention and data completion rates were recorded, and participants completed questionnaires on acceptability. We collected pain, stiffness and function data (using the Western Ontario McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index; WOMAC) and general health (EQ-5D) and economic measures at baseline and 14 weeks post-randomisation.
resultsWe screened 149 people and randomised 60 (40 %), 20 per arm. The overall 14 week follow-up rate was 77 %, but only 70 % in the 'standard' group; 4.1 % of data points were missing. The study was acceptable to participants. Changes in WOMAC pain score (intention to treat complete case analysis) from baseline to 14 week follow-up were: 'standard', 0.4 (95 % confidence interval (CI) -1.4, 2.2,
conclusionsA definitive three-arm trial is feasible. Further follow-up reminders, minimum data collection and incentives should be considered to improve participant retention in the follow-up processes in the standardised advice and exercise booklet arm.
trial registrationISRCTN05305406.
Indexed as
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.