Table 2.

WOMAC scores ($\overline{\mathrm{x}}\pm \mathrm{s}$)

Item	Experimental group (n = 66)	Control group (n = 40)	t	P
Pain
Before treatment	17.36 ± 2.59	17.18 ± 2.45	0.354	0.724
After treatment	8.94 ± 0.83ab	12.57 ± 1.36a	17.086	0.000
Joint stiffness
Before treatment	7.21 ± 0.68	7.25 ± 0.72	0.287	0.775
After treatment	3.14 ± 0.33ab	5.07 ± 0.49a	24.224	0.000
Joint function
Before treatment	57.83 ± 6.07	57.36 ± 5.91	0.390	0.697
After treatment	30.62 ± 2.89ab	41.27 ± 4.08a	15.699	0.000
Total score
Before treatment	84.16 ± 10.25	84.32 ± 10.43	0.077	0.938
After treatment	41.83 ± 4.09ab	63.57 ± 7.38a	19.524	0.000

Compared with before treatment, ^aP < 0.05; compared with control group, ^bP < 0.05. WOMAC Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index