Table 2.
Outcome and credibility of treatment* at two weeks. Values are numbers (percentages) of participants
| Patient's response | Advice and exercise (n=112) | Advice, exercise, and true acupuncture (n=112) | P value (χ2 test for trend)† | Advice, exercise, and non-penetrating acupuncture (n=115) | P value (χ2 test for trend)‡ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confident that treatment can help problem?: | |||||
| Very | 26 (23) | 27 (24) | 0.01 | 38 (33) | 0.0001 |
| Quite | 44 (39) | 64 (57) | 60 (53) | ||
| Neither | 18 (16) | 12 (11) | 10 (9) | ||
| Not very | 21 (19) | 7 (6) | 5 (4) | ||
| Not at all | 3 (3) | 2 (2) | 1 (1) | ||
| Missing data | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Recommend treatment to friend with similar knee problem?: | |||||
| Very confident | 29 (26) | 34 (30) | 0.2 | 41 (36) | 0.03 |
| Quite confident | 61 (54) | 58 (52) | 62 (54) | ||
| Neither | 8 (7) | 15 (13) | 4 (4) | ||
| Not very confident | 12 (11) | 5 (4) | 5 (4) | ||
| Not at all confident | 2 (2) | 0 (0) | 2 (2) | ||
| Missing data | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Does treatment make sense to you?: | |||||
| Very logical | 46 (41) | 32 (29) | 0.006 | 45 (39) | 0.4 |
| Quite logical | 53 (47) | 54 (48) | 51 (45) | ||
| No opinion | 5 (4) | 6 (5) | 4 (4) | ||
| Not very logical | 7 (6) | 18 (16) | 13 (11) | ||
| Not at all logical | 1 (1) | 2 (2) | 1 (1) | ||
| Missing data | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Do you think treatment would be successful in treating other problems? | |||||
| Very | 17 (15) | 17 (15) | 0.3 | 29 (25) | 0.03 |
| Quite | 61 (55) | 68 (61) | 56 (49) | ||
| No opinion | 27 (24) | 25 (22) | 29 (25) | ||
| Not very | 5 (5) | 1 (1) | 0 (0) | ||
| Not at all | 2 (2) | 1 (1) | 0 (0) | ||
| Missing data | 0 | 0 | 1 |
*Adapted from Vincent and Lewith.36
†Advice and exercise compared with advice, exercise, and true acupuncture.
‡Advice and exercise compared with advice, exercise, and non-penetrating acupuncture.