Laser Acupuncture for Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials

7 studies containing 395 patients with knee osteoarthritis were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis comparing laser acupuncture treatment to sham laser acupuncture for the relief of pain and improvement of function and quality of life. Outcomes of interest included pain on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis pain, function and stiffness scores, and quality of life questionnaire scores. Outcomes were analyzed at short-term (2 months post-treatment) and long-term (1 year post-treatment) follow ups. Results revealed significantly favourable VAS pain scores at short-term follow up in the laser acupuncture group compared to the sham group. All remaining pooled outcomes were not significantly different between the laser acupuncture and sham groups, at all time-points.