EVALUATION OF THE OUTCOMES OF COMBINING THE TAM DIEU HOAN HERBAL FORMULA WITH THERAPEUTIC ULTRASOUND AND ELECTRICAL STIMULATION IN THE TREATMENT OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

Tran Thi Thu Van1, Pham Van Anh2
1 Vietnam University of Traditional Medicine
2 Thanh Thuy Regional Health Center

Main Article Content

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of combining the Tam dieu hoan herbal formula with therapeutic ultrasound and electrical stimulation in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.


Subject and methods: A controlled clinical interventional study was conducted on 60 patients with knee osteoarthritis. The study group (n = 30) received a combination of Tam dieu hoan herbal formula, therapeutic ultrasound, and electrical stimulation, while the control group (n = 30) was treated according to the standard treatment regimen. Treatment outcomes were compared before and after a 15-day intervention period.


Results: After 15 days of treatment, the study group showed significantly greater improvement than the control group. The VAS score decreased by 4.7 ± 0.8 points in the study group compared with 3.2 ± 0.7 points in the control group (p < 0.05). Synovial fluid thickness and synovial membrane thickness were markedly reduced, with better outcomes in the study group (p < 0.05). The total WOMAC score decreased by 26.2 ± 5.6 points, exceeding the reduction observed in the control group (20.1 ± 5.3 points). Knee flexion range increased by 21.5 ± 4.1 degrees, which was significantly greater than that in the control group (12.8 ± 3.7 degrees) (p < 0.05).


Conclusion: The combination of Tam dieu hoan with therapeutic ultrasound and electrical stimulation was more effective than the standard treatment alone in managing knee osteoarthritis, resulting in significant pain relief, reduction of inflammation and joint effusion, and improved knee function.

Article Details

References

[1] Bộ Y tế. Thoái hóa khớp. Trong: Bệnh học cơ xương khớp nội khoa. Nhà xuất bản Giáo dục Việt Nam, Hà Nội, 2015, tr. 140-153.
[2] Nguyễn Vĩnh Ngọc, Trần Ngọc Ân, Nguyễn Thu Hiền. Đánh giá tình hình bệnh khớp tại Khoa Cơ xương khớp, Bệnh viện Bạch Mai trong 10 năm (1991-2000). Báo cáo khoa học tại Đại hội toàn quốc lần thứ 3, Hội Thấp khớp học Việt Nam, 2002, tr. 263-267.
[3] Trần Quốc Bảo. Chứng tý. Trong: Bệnh học nội khoa y học cổ truyền và ứng dụng lâm sàng. Nhà xuất bản Y học, Hà Nội, 2020, tr .661-672.
[4] Các Bộ môn Nội, Trường Đại học Y Hà Nội. Thoái hóa khớp và thoái hóa cột sống. Trong: Bệnh học nội khoa, tập 1 (dùng cho đào tạo sau đại học). Nhà xuất bản Y học, Hà Nội, 2017, tr. 450-460.
[5]. Chu M, Gao T, Zhang X et al. Elucidation of potential targets of san-miao-san in the treatment of osteoarthritis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2022: 7663212. 57. doi: 10.1155/2022/7663212.
[6] Tong J et al. The efficacy of pulsed electromagnetic fields on pain, stiffness, and physical function in osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2022, 30 (8): 1064-1075. doi: 10.1155/2022/9939891.
[7] Wu Y, Zhu S, Lv Z et al. Effects of therapeutic ultrasound for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Rehabil, 2019, 33 (12): 1863-1875. doi: 10.1177/0269215519866494.
[8] Hồ Nhật Minh. Đánh giá tác dụng của bài Ý dĩ nhân thang kết hợp tứ diệu tán trong điều trị thoái hóa khớp gối có tràn dịch. Luận văn thạc sĩ y học, Trường Đại học Y Hà Nội, 2019.