Table IId.
Results of network meta-analyses for comparisons with acupuncture: trials of better-quality
| Intervention [abbreviations in brackets relate to Fig. 1(a–d)] | No. of Trials∗ | SMD (95% Cr I) | Difference expressed on a WOMAC VAS 0-100 pain scale (95% Cr I)∗ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture (comparator) | – | – | |
| Balneotherapy (BAL) | 1 (40) | 0.00 (−0.99 to 1.01) | 0.05 (−16.36 to 16.62) |
| Sham Acupuncture (SH ACU) | 8 (685) | 0.34 (0.03 to 0.66) | 5.57 (0.42 to 10.86) |
| Muscle-strengthening exercise (MU EX) | 9 (450) | 0.49 (0.00 to 0.98) | 8.08 (0.02 to 16.21) |
| Tai Chi (TAI) | 2 (51) | 0.75 (−0.05 to 1.57) | 12.42 (−0.81 to 25.84) |
| Weight loss (WEI) | 3 (357) | 0.93 (0.31 to 1.57) | 15.36 (5.18 to 25.81) |
| Standard care (ST CARE) | 17 (928) | 1.01 (0.61 to 1.43) | 16.70 (10.07 to 23.61) |
| Aerobic exercise (AE EX) | 1 (80) | 1.09 (0.23 to 1.96) | 17.94 (3.82 to 32.27) |
| No intervention (NO INT) | 1 (30) | 1.20 (0.18 to 2.23) | 19.80 (2.94 to 36.81) |
| Data points: 31 Residual deviance: 31.4. Between-study standard deviation: 0.39 (95% CI: 0.24–0.58) | |||
∗
To help evaluate these conversions, one study has reported the ‘minimal clinically important change’ (MCIC) as −15 mm (on a VAS 0-100 scale, and derived from a prior Delphi exercise35), and the ‘minimal perceptible clinical improvement’ (MPCI) (the smallest change detectable by the patient) as −9.7 mm (on a WOMAC VAS 0-100 scale)34. Another study estimated the ‘minimal clinically important improvement’ (MCII), although only for pain on movement, as being −19.9 mm on a VAS 0-100 scale; this figure varied by baseline pain score, with patients with less pain having a smaller MCII (10.8 mm) and patients with severe pain having a larger MCII (36.6 mm)36.