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Researchers conducted a systematic review to determine whether acupuncture is effective for treating knee osteoarthritis. They identified 11 randomized trials, involving more than 2000 subjects, of needle insertion into traditional meridian points (with or without electrical stimulation), with at least 6 weeks of follow-up and assessment of pain and function.
In studies with sham acupuncture control groups, short-term (<3 months) effects on pain and function favoring acupuncture were small; improvements were even smaller at 6 months. The small effect sizes were considered clinically irrelevant by the authors, and results were heterogeneous across studies. Studies in which controls received usual care or were on a waiting list reported larger…