Objectifying Specific and Nonspecific Effects of Acupuncture: A Double-Blinded Randomised Trial in Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Table 1

Acupuncture points chosen for nonspecific needling.

(i) A point between the gallbladder and stomach conduit at the posterior edge of the fibula 2 cun above the malleolus lateralis
(ii) A point 2 cun and 6 cun, respectively, above the malleolus medialis on the tibial surface (intracutaneous needling without contact to the periost with the needles pointing to the knee)
(iii) A point in the middle of the thigh on a line between the patella and the anterior iliac spine
(iv) A point at the top of the contracted biceps muscle
To equalise the number of needles employed between the different needling modalities, the following additional points were permitted:
(i) A point 3 cun above and medial to the cleft of the knee joint between the spleen conduit and the renal conduit
(ii) A point in the middle of a line between liver 13 and liver 16
(iii) A point in the middle of a line between gallbladder 37 and vesical 58
(iv) A point 2 cun dorsal to gallbladder 32
(v) A point in the middle of a line between heart 2 and pericardium 3