Clinical Observation Of Traditional Chinese Medicine DuHuoJiSheng Granule And Auricular Therapy In The Treatment Of Knee Osteoarthritis

To compare the symptom severity, pain rating and complications in patients with knee osteoarthritis and a concurrent liver kidney deficiency receiving Traditional Chinese medicine Du huo Ji Sheng Granule and auricular therapy with those receiving treatment with natural supplements (unhydrolyzed typeâ…¡collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid) therapy.Sixty patients with knee osteoarthritis were enrolled in a randomized trial to compare the effectiveness of TCM versus natural supplements therapy. All patients in the study also meet criteria for the diagnosis of liver kidney deficiency, as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China. Thirty patients were included in the traditional Chinese medicine group and received Du Huo Ji Sheng Granule along with auricular seed therapy. Thirty patients were randomized to the other treatment group and were treated with unhydrolyzed typeâ…¡collagen. Pain ratings of the affected joint were assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and function of the joint was assessed using the Lysholm Knee rating scale. Patient quality of life was determined using the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) symptom score. Data was collected at the first visit and at 2 and 4 weeks after initiation of treatment. Data processing:Statistical analysis was done using SPSS18.01. TCM symptom complex score:there was a statistically significant difference in both treatment groups from baseline to 2 weeks (p<0.05). Grouping all the observed patients, the scores before and after had interaction (p>0.05). After correction(Greenhouse-Geisser), both treatment groups from baseline to four weeks had a statistically significant difference (p<0.05).2. Lysholm knee function score:After correction(Greenhouse-Geisser), there was a statistically significant improvement before and after treatment in both groups.3. Resting pain score:Both groups of patients rated their resting knee pain as having decreased after treatment-this was shown to be statistically significant (p<0.05).4. Flat ground walking pain score:there was a statistically significant decrease in pain scores after two weeks of treatment in both groups when compared with baseline (p<0.05). After correction, there was a statistically significant difference in scores for both groups from baseline to four weeks (p<0.05)5. Evaluation of TCM syndromes progress:there was a statistically significant difference in both groups after two and four weeks of treatment (p<0.05). There was a decrease of 23.33% in the TCM symptom complex score after 2 weeks, and a 70.00% decrease after 4 weeks of treatment with TCM. In contrast, for the natural supplement group, the total effectiveness of treatment was a decrease in the TCM symptom complex score after 2 weeks of 3.33%, and 40% after 4 weeks.TCM does effectively decrease pain symptoms in patients who have knee osteoarthritis during a four-week period. A combination of Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang and auricular seed therapy improves the TCM complex score, the knee pain at rest and knee joint function. However, TCM does not improve knee pain as much as natural supplement group during flat ground walking. Although natural supplement was also shown to improve the pain associated with knee osteoarthritis at rest and with activity, the data indicates that TCM offers the advantage of alleviating knee pain over natural supplement therapy. Especially, for the evaluation of TCM complex score, the TCM group had a significant advantage over the unhydrolyzed typeâ…¡collagen.