The Evidence on Acupuncture for Knee Osteoarthritis – Editorial Summary on the Implications for Health Policy

Abstract

Decisions on whether a health service should provide a particular treatment are based on the evidence on three questions: 1) whether the treatment can work, ie it is biologically active; 2) whether the treatment is safe and effective in daily practice; and 3) whether it is economically worthwhile. Evidence presented at the Kyoto conference shows that acupuncture for osteoarthritis of the knee has a biological effect, has a large clinical effect in practice, has negligible risk, and has a cost effectiveness which is well within the usual acceptable limit. On the present evidence, acupuncture is likely to offer an alternative to treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).