Acupuncture/Acupressure for Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) Relieving in the Elderly: A Review

摘要

The prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) is quite high among the elderly and significantly influence their mobility which is quite relevant to functional independence and health-related life quality. Acupuncture and acupressure are increasingly popular in treating many diseases including some musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders such as the knee OA. This paper aims to review the previous published researches on acupuncture and acupressure therapy for knee OA regarding the treatment mechanisms, effectiveness and characteristics to summarize and give therapeutic recommendations on knee OA in the elderly. Future directions will be provided for symptom management and functional maintenance in knee OA in order to improve the mobility and life quality of the old knee OA sufferers, so that the personal, societal, medical and financial burdens will then be correspondingly reduced.