[Clinical observation on electric heat needle therapy for treatment of gonarthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe clinical therapeutic effect of electric heat needle therapy on senile gonarthritis. METHODS: Sixty-five patients were divided into a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group of 35 cases were treated by electric heat needling at Dubi (ST 35), Neixiyang (EX-LE 4), Yanglingquan (GB 34) and Yin-lingquan (SP 9), and the control group of 30 cases by simple acupuncture at the same acupoints as in the treatment group. In the two groups, the treatment was given once every other day, 10 sessions constituting one therapeutic course. After treatment of 2 courses, their therapeutic effects were compared. RESULTS: There was a very significant difference between the two groups in the total effective rate (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Electric heat needle therapy has a better clinical therapeutic effect on senile gonarthritis, better than simple acupuncture therapy.