Am J Chin Med. 1983 ; 11(1-4): 146-9.

Acupuncture and rehabilitation (III) effects of acupuncture applied to the normal side on osteoarthritis deformans and rheumatoid arthritis of the knee and on disorders in motility of the knee joint after cerebral hemorrhage and thrombosis.

Arichi S, Arichi H, Toda S.

In osteoarthritis deformans and rheumatoid arthritis of the knee and in disorders in motility of the knee joint after cerebral hemorrhage and thrombosis, acupuncture was applied to the normal side at the symmetrical part to the lesion and flection-extension exercise and massage on the affected joint were carried out as rehabilitation (Reha) during the time the needles were used. A most remarkable cure rate was obtained in osteoarthritis deformans of the knee when treated with acupuncture on the normal side and flection-extension exercise and massage on the affected part. The cure rate was low in rheumatoid arthritis, and the therapy was non-effective concerning disorders in motility of the knee joint after cerebral hemorrhage or thrombosis. The improvement rate, however, was extremely low in osteoarthritis deformans and rheumatoid arthritis of the knee after the acupuncture on the affected part of the affected side with Reha on the affected part of the affected side, or Reha on the lesion, and these means of therapy were completely non-effective concerning disorders in motility after cerebral hemorrhage or thrombosis. Our previous reports No. 1 and 2 accord with the evidence obtained in this study that the acupuncture on the normal side and Reha on the affected part of the affected side produced most remarkable effect in osteoarthritis deformans of the knee. The low improvement rate in rheumatoid arthritis and non-effectiveness concerning disorders in motility of the knee joint after cerebral hemorrhage or thrombosis may be explained by differences in morphology of the diseases.