Battlefield Acupuncture With Sodium Hyaluronate Injections

Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA), an Adjunct Treatment During Sodium Hyaluronate Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Pilot Study

The study evaluates pain relief and subsequent range of motion changes combining battlefield acupuncture with sodium hyaluronate vs local anesthetic and sodium hyaluronate

Sodium hyaluronate is FDA approved for knee osteoarthritis. It is a widely used treatment for this condition. This does provide immediate pain relief and is often used in conjunction with lidocaine and ropivacaine to both improve pain relief and treatment tolerance.

battlefield acupuncture has been showing promise as an adjunct pain relief treatment option. If used during intra articular visco supplementation knee injections, this may provide pain relief and positive changes in range of motion without the need of local anesthetic being injected into the joint space.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients of the BAMC Orthopaedic clinic
• Active duty, dependent and civilians
• Ages 18-65
• Diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis by their Orthopaedic provider
• Determined to be eligible for Sodium Hyaluronate injections by their Orthopaedic provider

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient without knee osteoarthritis diagnosis
• Patient requiring immediate surgery for their knee complaints
• Patients younger than 18 or older than 65
• Pregnant patients
• Patients without active pain
• Patients with history of knee arthroplasty
• Patients with auricular deformity which would affect BFA
• Patient with history of vasovagal secondary to needles or injections
• Patients with active infection at BFA treatment sites