Presentation summary

Introduction :
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of chronic pain and mobility impairment among the elderly. While acupuncture has been widely used as a complementary therapy to alleviate pain and improve joint function, evidence on its immediate impact on pain relief and gait posture remains limited.

Case Presentation :
A 60-year-old female presented with progressively worsening bilateral knee pain over the past six months. She reported difficulty walking, with noticeable gait abnormalities including shortened steps and a limping pattern. Clinical evaluation and physical examination revealed bilateral knee crepitus, supporting a diagnosis of kneeosteoarthritis.
The patient underwent a single session of manual acupuncture at points ST35 (Dubi), GB34 (Yanglingquan), SP9 (Yinlingquan), and EX-LE4 (Neixiyan), with a stimulation duration of 10 minutes. Pain was assessed usingthe Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and gait was evaluated through simple observational analysis before andafter the treatment.

Results : 
Following one session of acupuncture, the patient’s NRS score decreased from 7 to 4. She reported a markedreduction in knee stiffness and pain during ambulation. Gait observation revealed longer step length, reduced limping, and improved weight distribution across both legs.

Discussion :
This case demonstrates that acupuncture can provide rapid analgesic effects and improve gait patterns in patients with knee OA. These outcomes are likely mediated by activation of endogenous analgesic pathways and relaxation of periarticular muscles. Although promising, further studies with larger sample sizes and long-term follow-up are needed to assess the durability and reproducibility of these effects.

Conclusion :
Acupuncture proved to be rapidly effective in reducing pain and improving gait posture in this case of knee osteoarthritis. It may be considered a valuable component in a multimodal approach to OA management.