EffectofPersianacupressure(Ghamz)onPatientswithKneeOsteoarthritis:ASingle-BlindedParallelClinicalTrial

Background:Manypatientschoosecomplementaryandalternativemedicine(CAM)totreatvariousconditions.Amongosteoarthritispatients,acupressureisapopularCAMtreatment.InIran,Ghamz(aPersianacupressuretechnique)usesformusculoskeletalailmentslikekneepain.Aims:ToexaminethepotentialefficacyofGhamzonosteoarthritisoutcomes.Design:ClinicalTrial.Settings:Randomized,singleblind,shamcontrolledclinicaltrial.Participants/Subjects:Eightypatientswithdiagnosedkneeosteoarthritis,ageover35yearsold.Methods:Eightyadultpatientswithconfirmedkneeosteoarthritisfromthreeoutpatientclinicswererecruited.Participantswererandomlyassignedeithertointerventionorplacebogroupsusingshamacupressure.TheprimaryoutcomesincludedKneeinjuryandOsteoarthritisOutcomeScore(KOOS)parametersandpainscoresmeasuredusingthevisualanalogscales(VAS).Results:Seventytwoindividualscompletedthetrialandwereincludedintheanalysis.Atbaseline,therewasnodifferencebetweenthemeanscoresofbothoutcomes.Aftertheintervention,thegroupreceivingGhamztherapyexperiencedanimprovementinKOOSparameters,includingsymptoms,pain,activitydailylivings,sport,recreationfunction,andqualityoflife.Themeanpainscoreintheinterventiongroupwassignificantlydecreasedfrom5.89atthebeginningstudyto4.11attheendofthestudy,whilethepainscoredidnotchangesubstantiallyintheshamgroup.Thesefindingsremainedconsistentafterad justingforcovariatesofage,weight,andpretreatment.Conclusions:ThisstudysupportsevidencethatGhamztherapyprovidesaneffectiveoptionforshorttermkneepainreliefinpatientswithkneeosteoarthritis.Additionalstudiesarerecommendedtoconfirmthesefindings.(c) 2021AmericanSocietyforPainManagementNursing.PublishedbyElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved.