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Complementary therapies for osteoarthritis: are they effective?

Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
December 1, 2013
Rouzi Shengelia et al. (5 authors)
Journal ArticleResearch Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of massage therapy as a complementary treatment for osteoarthritis (OA), focusing on pain reduction and functional improvement.

Results Summary

The study found that massage therapy is safe for individuals with OA and demonstrated positive short-term effects (≤6 months) in reducing pain and improving self-reported physical functioning. However, limited information exists on its relative effectiveness compared to other therapies or its effects in distinct patient subgroups.

Population

Adults with osteoarthritis (specific joint involvement not detailed beyond knee OA being implied).

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Short-term (≤6 months)

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (14)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
tai chi
no change
-
individuals with OA
-
are safe for use
#1
acupuncture
no change
-
individuals with OA
-
are safe for use
#2
yoga
no change
-
individuals with OA
-
are safe for use
#3
massage therapy
no change
-
individuals with OA
-
are safe for use
#4
tai chi
decrease
pain
-
-
Positive short-term (≤6 months) effects in the form of reduced
#5
tai chi
increase
self-reported physical functioning
-
-
Positive short-term (≤6 months) effects in the form of improved
#6
acupuncture
decrease
pain
-
-
Positive short-term (≤6 months) effects in the form of reduced
#7
acupuncture
increase
self-reported physical functioning
-
-
Positive short-term (≤6 months) effects in the form of improved
#8
yoga
decrease
pain
-
-
Positive short-term (≤6 months) effects in the form of reduced
#9
yoga
increase
self-reported physical functioning
-
-
Positive short-term (≤6 months) effects in the form of improved
#10
massage therapy
decrease
pain
-
-
Positive short-term (≤6 months) effects in the form of reduced
#11
massage therapy
increase
self-reported physical functioning
-
-
Positive short-term (≤6 months) effects in the form of improved
#12
Complementary therapies
decrease
pain
adults with OA
-
can reduce
#13
Complementary therapies
increase
function
adults with OA
-
can improve
#14
Abstract

Increasing interest has focused on complementary management modalities, including tai chi, acupuncture, yoga, and massage therapy, as treatments for osteoarthritis (OA). This review article synthesizes evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews (SRs) that examined one or more of the above as treatments for OA. Medline, Pubmed, and Cinahl databases were searched to identify English-language articles using an RCT design or that conducted a SR of published studies and presented data on symptom or functional outcomes. Two authors independently abstracted relevant information (e.g., study sample, intervention characteristics, treatment effects, safety data). Retained articles (n = 29) included those that evaluated tai chi (8 RCTs, 2 SRs), acupuncture (11 RCTs, 4 SRs), yoga (2 RCTs), and massage therapy (2 RCTs). Available evidence indicates that tai chi, acupuncture, yoga, and massage therapy are safe for use by individuals with OA. Positive short-term (≤6 months) effects in the form of reduced pain and improved self-reported physical functioning were found for all 4 treatments. Limited information exists regarding the relative effectiveness of the therapies (e.g., yoga vs. tai chi vs. acupuncture), as well as treatment effects in persons with joint involvement besides the knee and in distinct patient subgroups (e.g., older vs. younger adults, persons with mild vs. moderate vs. advanced disease). Complementary therapies can reduce pain and improve function in adults with OA. Research is needed to evaluate long-term benefits of the treatments, as well as their relative effects among diverse patient subgroups.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
ArthralgiaComplementary TherapiesEvidence-Based PracticeHumansOsteoarthritis
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety90
Efficacy75/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations25
Citations/Year2.1
Relative Citation Ratio1.26
NIH Percentile58.7%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score1.55
Normalized Score0.82
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