Electromyographic study of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for knee pain / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to evluat the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion teatment for knee pain.<br>Materials and Methods<br>The subjects consisted of a group of 6 patients with knee pain (2 males, 4 females, 71.67 years in mean age) and a normal group of 9 healthy aged persons (6 males, 3 females, 50.56 years in mean age).<br>Electromyography was taken from the inner and outer hamstrings, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and the rectus femoris during ascending and descending stairs.<br>The observation were performed pre- and post acupuncture and moxibustion treatment over the subsequent 3 weeks.<br>Results<br>1) The muscular activity of the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis showed an overt pattern with two peaks in the normal group, but random pattern was shown in the knee pain group.<br>2) The knee joint function was improved on acupuncture and moxibustion treatment combination with isometoric training. Equally, the knee pain group showed the same tendency as the normal activity pattern.<br>3) The results indicated that the results of electromyography taken from the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis prved useful for the objective evaluation of knee joint function.