ArticleJournal of pain research2025
Acupuncture at Myofascial Trigger Points Versus Conventional Acupuncture for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Article in Journal of pain research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Myofascial Trigger Point-Augmented Acupuncture vs Conventional Acupuncture for Early- to Mid-Stage Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Journal of pain research · 2026Trial
- Myofascial Trigger Point-Augmented Acupuncture vs Conventional Acupuncture for Early- to Mid-Stage Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial [Response to Letter].Journal of pain research · 2026Article
- Myofascial Trigger Point-Augmented Acupuncture vs Conventional Acupuncture for Early- to Mid-Stage Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial [Letter].Journal of pain research · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease that significantly impacts pain and mobility. Acupuncture targeting Myofascial Trigger Points (MTrPs), guided by the "pain as acupoint" strategy, has been proposed as a more precise intervention approach. Objective: This study aims to compare the efficacy of MTrP acupuncture versus conventional acupuncture in patients with early- to mid-stage KOA. Methods: In this assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial, 106 KOA patients (Kellgren-Lawrence grade II/III) will be randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either conventional meridian-based acupuncture (Group A) or acupuncture targeting both meridian points and MTrPs (Group B). Both groups will receive treatment five times weekly for two weeks. The primary outcome is the response rate, defined as a ≥2-point reduction in VAS and ≥6-point improvement in WOMAC function score. Secondary outcomes include pressure pain threshold (PPT), three-dimensional gait analysis, and patient acceptability. Results: This study is expected to demonstrate whether MTrP acupuncture provides superior pain relief and functional improvement compared to conventional acupuncture. Conclusion: Findings will contribute novel clinical evidence for optimizing individualized acupuncture strategies in the management of KOA. Trial Registration: ChiCTR, ChiCTR2300073707, Registered on July 19, 2023.
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