OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of bean pressing on ear points on early KOA pain.
METHODS: One hundred patients with KOA recruited at the Wenzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between February 2019 and May 2022 were divided randomly into a treatment group (n= 50) and control group (n= 50). Patients in the treatment group received regular rehabilitation combined with auricular bean-pressing treatment, while patients in the control group only received conventional rehabilitation treatment. The measurement indicators - knee swelling, tenderness, range of motion sign score, C-reactive protein, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) indexes - were recorded before and after treatment.
RESULTS: On day 5 following the start of treatment, the visual analog scale (VAS) and WOMAC scores of the treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P< 0.05), and the VAS and WOMAC scores in the treatment group after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (P< 0.05). At week 4 after the start of treatment, the dosage of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). No adverse events were observed during the treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: Auricular bean-pressing therapy had an analgesic effect and could also alleviate mild to moderate KOA swelling, joint stiffness, and other symptoms, effectively reducing the demand for NSAIDs and improving both knee function and quality of life. The results suggested that auricular bean-pressing therapy has promising prospects in the treatment of early KOA pain.
目的:本研究旨在探讨豆压耳对早期KOA疼痛的治疗作用。
方法:将温州市中医医院2019年2月至2022年5月收治的100例KOA患者随机分为治疗组(n=50)和对照组(n=50)。治疗组患者接受常规康复结合耳穴压豆治疗,而对照组患者仅接受常规康复治疗。测量指标-膝盖肿胀,压痛,运动体征评分范围,C反应蛋白,和西安大略省和麦克马斯特大学骨关节炎(WOMAC)指标-记录治疗前后。
结果:治疗开始后第5天,治疗组视觉模拟评分(VAS)和WOMAC评分明显低于对照组(P<0.05),治疗组治疗后的VAS和WOMAC评分明显低于治疗前(P<0.05)。治疗开始后第4周,治疗组非甾体抗炎药(NSAIDs)用量明显低于对照组(P<0.05)。治疗期间未观察到不良事件。
结论:耳穴压豆疗法具有镇痛作用,还可以缓解轻中度KOA肿胀,接头刚度,和其他症状,有效减少对NSAIDs的需求,改善膝关节功能和生活质量。提示耳穴压豆疗法治疗早期KOA疼痛具有良好的应用前景。