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This randomised controlled trial, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, investigated whether a four-week course of electroacupuncture could reduce pain more effectively than topical diclofenac sodium gel in people with symptomatic hand osteoarthritis. A total of 120 participants were divided equally into two groups: one receiving twelve electroacupuncture sessions over four weeks, and the other applying two grams of diclofenac sodium gel four times daily for the same period. Pain levels were tracked for a further twelve weeks after treatment ended.
The primary measure was the change in finger joint pain intensity in the dominant hand, assessed using a visual analogue scale ranging from zero (no pain) to one hundred (maximal pain). At the four-week mark, the electroacupuncture group recorded a meaningfully lower pain score than the diclofenac sodium gel group, with a statistically significant between-group difference favouring electroacupuncture. These benefits were maintained at both the eight-week and sixteen-week assessments, suggesting a durable effect beyond the active treatment period. Adverse events in both groups were described as rare, mild, and short-lived.
The trial provides encouraging evidence that electroacupuncture is a clinically meaningful, non-pharmacological option for managing hand osteoarthritis pain, particularly for patients seeking alternatives to topical anti-inflammatory medicines.
Conclusion: Electroacupuncture demonstrated superior and sustained pain relief compared with topical diclofenac sodium gel over a sixteen-week period, supporting its potential as a promising non-pharmacological treatment for hand osteoarthritis.
Source: Wang W, Kang J, Shi J and colleagues. Mayo Clinic proceedings (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42201269) · doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2025.12.018