UK researchers assessing economic data on twelve non-pharmacological interventions for osteoarthritis of the knee, have found acupuncture and TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) to be cost-effective. The authors looked at 88 randomised controlled trials covering 7500 patients. They based cost-effectiveness estimations on a threshold of £20-30 000 per quality-adjusted life year; this is the same threshold used by NICE when establishing whether a treatment is a cost-effective use of NHS resources.
The authors noted that while acupuncture is not yet recommended by NICE as a treatment for knee osteoarthritis, their calculations suggest some interventions which are recommended (insoles, braces and manual therapy) are unlikely to be cost-effective.
(Cost-effectiveness of adjunct non-pharmacological interventions for osteoarthritis of the knee. PLoS One, 7 March 2017.)
Author: Robin Costello
I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training.
I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.
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