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Electroacupuncture — an adaptation of traditional acupuncture in which gentle pulses of electrical current are sent through needles — has shown benefit in knee osteoarthritis (OA), but it has not been studied in hand OA.
In this trial conducted at two centers in China, 120 adults (mean age, 62) with symptomatic hand OA were randomized to 12 sessions of electroacupuncture or topical diclofenac gel (2 g, 4 times a day) over 4 weeks, with 12 additional weeks of follow-up.
At week 4, finger joint pain intensity (measured on a 0−100 visual analog pain scale) decreased significantly more in the electroacupuncture group compared with the diclofenac group (−33 vs. −16 points from baseline).
At 8 and 16 weeks, pain intensity remained …