NCT03966248

Chinese Tuina Therapy for Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis

Chinese Tuina (Chinese Massage and Manipulation Therapy) for KOA: A Randomized, Parallel, Physical Therapies Active Controlled Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 140 (actual)
• Sponsor: Beijing University of Chinese Medicine · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 40 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common musculoskeletal diseases in clinic. It usually occurs in middle-aged people, especially women. An estimated lifetime risk for KOA is approximately 40% in men and 47% in women. KOA is a chronic disease which can lead to obvious pain, joint stiffness, limitation of activity and even disability, with significant associated costs and effects on society, health systems, and individuals. Tuina therapy has been used and showed effectiveness and safety for pain relief and disability for the patients with musculoskeletal disorders for years in China. Though it is regarded that the Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Tuina therapy is similar to the modern manual therapies, the modalities of TCM tuina therapy are different and effect maybe equal to or more better than the modern manual therapy in clinic. However, little evidence exists that Tuina benefits the KOA. The investigators will do this in a randomized, parallel, active controlled study to observe whether TCM Tuina is more beneficial to KOA than the physical manual therapy, which has been considered an effective and standard care for KOA.

Detailed description

Patients will be randomly allocated to one of two groups. In the Chinese Tuina group (group CTG), patients will receive the traditional Chinese Tuina therapy (including rolling, grasping, scratching, pressing, acupressure or pushing) on the basis of KOA health education and home-exercise. Patients in the Physical Manual group (group PMG) will receive the modern physical manual therapy (including joint mobilization/manipulation, manual traction, soft tissue manipulations, passive stretching, range of motion and strength training) on the basis of KOA health education and home-exercise. Assessments will be conducted at baseline and 4 and 16 weeks after randomization. It is expected that the interventions will alleviate the sufferings of the patient. The risks of participation are minimal. Occasionally, tuina can make people feel nauseous or experience a temporary increase in pain either during or after treatment. Rare side effects happen during and after Tuina or manual treatment.

Conditions

• Osteoarthritis, Knee

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Chinese Tuina therapy	1. The doctor presses the affected lower limb from the anterior superior iliac spine to the ankle; 2. The doctor gives the pressure on the Biguan(ST31), Futu(ST32), Heding(EX-LE2), Neixiyan(EX-LE4), Waixiyan(Dubi, ST35), Zusanli(ST36) and Sanyinjiao(SP6) of the affected lower limb; 3. Massage the spleen and stomach meridians of the affected lower extremes; 4. Roll the soft tissues around the affected knee; 5. Relax the gastrocnalis muscle 6. The doctor gives the pressure on the Xuehai(SP10), Liangqiu(ST34), Neixifeng(medial patellofemoral ligament), Waixifeng(lateral patellofemoral ligament), Neixiyan(EX-LE4) and Waixiyan(Dubi, ST35) at the same time; 7. Push the patella and do the passive movement of the affected knee; 8. Strength training of the affected knee. This group receives 8 treatments over a 3 week period with a one week follow-up on site and a 3 month follow-up by mail, phone or email.
OTHER	Physical Manual therapy	1. Manual therapy: Stretching the knee joint, stretching the knee joint with valgus or abduction, stretching the knee joint with varus or adduction is suitable for patients with knee flexion and extension difficulty.Patellar manipulation by bending the knee 5-10 degrees downward is suitable for patients with patellar sliding difficulty.The lower end of the muscle length manipulation is suitable for patients with muscle tension and soft tissue tension.Soft tissue loosening is performed in the suprapatellar and peripatellar regions, medial and lateral capsule joints, and popliteal fossa. 2. Activity training: Mainly about the knee joint flexion and extension movement training. 3. Strength training: Mainly about quadriceps muscle resistance exercises This group receives 8 treatments over a 3 week period with a one week follow-up on site and a 3 month follow-up by mail, phone or email.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-10-19
• Primary completion: 2021-10-07
• Completion: 2021-10-07
• First posted: 2019-05-29
• Last updated: 2023-02-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China