摘要
Knee osteoarthritis(OA)is an important cause of chronic pain and disability in the elderly,affecting 16%of the global population[1–2].With the increase in life expectancy and the prevalence of obesity,this situation will worsen.At present,most international guidelines do not recommend acupuncture treatment.Only the guidelines of the American Academy of Rheumatology recommend the use of acupuncture when total knee replacement is required but is unwilling to undergo surgery or because of contraindications to surgery.Insufficient acupuncture frequency in previous studies may be the main reason for the unclear efficacy.However,in clinical practice,the selection of acupuncture frequency lacks the necessary scientific basis.In China,the frequency of acupuncture is mostly 3–5 times a week,but in foreign countries,the frequency of acupuncture is mostly 1–2 times a week.Too low acupuncture frequency is not conducive to the effect of acupuncture.If acupuncture frequency is too high,acupuncture tolerance may occur,and the treatment cost and time cost are high,which is not conducive to the promotion of acupuncture therapy worldwide.Therefore,it is necessary to explore the application rules of different acupuncture frequencies[3–5].
