In patients with painful knee arthrosis, after 26 weeks of follow-up, the treatment with acupuncture is clearly more effective than a conventional one with analgesic medication on demand and physiotherapy. These are the conclusions of a study recently published.

The study compared the effectiveness of the Chinese traditional technique -with small type penetration acupuncture, and the orthodox medical treatment.

For it, 1,007 patients were selected who fulfilled arthrosis criteria according to the definition by the American School of Rheumatologists, with local pain, of at least, six months duration.

Success of the treatment was defined as an improvement of at least 36 percent in the WOMAC scale, a validated type of scale that evaluates the patient's improvement, from the global as much as the specific pain point of view. The improvement indices were greater in the patients submitted to acupuncture, in such a way that acupuncture had nearly a 75% greater possibility of improvement if patients when treated with this option. This evaluation was carried out six months after the treatment finalized.

Osteoarthrosis is one of the most frequent diseases. Its main associated sequels are pain and immobility that result in a loss of the patient's habitual functions, next to a marked deterioration in the quality of life and perception of health.

Acupuncture is a millenary technique that enjoys an enormous increasing popularity, although its effectiveness in the reduction of the pain has not yet been contrasted according to the classic scientific method.