Acupuncture Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Acupuncture, including details on alternative medicine, uses, benefits, treatment, chinese medicine.

Effectiveness of nonpharmacological and nonsurgical interventions for hip osteoarthritis: an umbrella review of high-quality systematic reviews.

Moe RH, Haavardsholm EA, Christie A, Jamtvedt G, Dahm KT, Hagen KB

National Resource Centre for Rehabilitation in Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, PO Box 23 Vindern, 0319 Oslo, Norway. rikke.moe@nrrk.no

An increasing number of systematic reviews are available regarding nonpharmacological and nonsurgical interventions for hip osteoarthritis (OA). The objectives of this article are to identify high-quality systematic reviews on the effect of nonpharmacological and nonsurgical interventions for hip OA and to summarize available high-quality evidence for these treatment approaches. The authors identified and screened 204 reviews. Two independent reviewers using a previously pilot-tested quality assessment form assessed the full text of 58 reviews. Six reviews were of sufficient high quality and could be included for further analyses. There was moderate-quality evidence that acupuncture and diacerein have no effect on pain and function. There was low-quality evidence that strengthening exercises and avocado/soybean unsaponifiables reduce pain and that diacerein decreases radiographic OA progression. There was insufficient high-quality evidence regarding nonpharmacological and nonsurgical interventions for hip OA, and further primary studies and reviews are needed.

Published 6 December 2007 in Phys Ther, 87(12): 1716-27.
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