DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2014.v02i06.101

Pages: 3361-3365

The objective of the study was to know the comparison between Acupuncture Therapy and Low Level Laser Therapy on acupuncture points in relieving pain and improvement on functional ability in patients with knee osteoarthritis. This study was an experimental study with pre-test -post test control group design. Sampling was done by consecutive sampling, which is all subjects who came and met the inclusion criteria included in the study until the required number of subjects met. In this study, 34 subjects were successfully analyzed (17 subjects in the group of Acupuncture, and 17 subjects in the group of Low Level Laser Therapy on acupuncture points). Relieving pain were measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and functional value as measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC). These assessments were measured before treatment and 8 weeks after treatment. The use of Acupuncture therapy as well as Low Level Laser Therapy on acupuncture points equally reduce pain and improve functional ability of patients with knee osteoarthritis (p=0,000). At the time of comparison, the average Low Level Laser Therapy on acupuncture points and Acupuncture therapy seems no different on pain(1.241 versus 1.547) but on functional Low Level Laser Therapy on acupunture points seems superior than Acupunture therapy (3.235 versus 4.235). But statistically, there was no significant difference in both groups(P> 0.05). Both therapies in this research equally have significant effect in relieving pain and improvement on functional ability in patients with knee osteoarthritis. When compared, on average, Low Level Laser Therapy on acupuncture points is superior in improvement on functional ability in patients with knee osteoarthritis. However, both the rapies are not statistically different.