Table 3

Means and standard deviation of major variables measured at baseline and weeks 1, 2 and 4

Variable definition
Baseline
Week 1
Week 2
Week 4

WOMAC Scoresa
Mean (SD)
Mean (SD)
Mean (SD)
Mean (SD)
     Pain
22.2(19.2)
21.4(20.9)
16.9(16.9) **
16.1(16.2) **
     Stiffness
28.1(24.9)
25.8(23.1)
17.4(18.5) ***
18.5(20.3) ***
     Physical functioning
22.6(18.0)
22.4(19.5)
18.2(15.8) **
18.2(17.8) *
Pain in visual analogue scale
38.7(21.5)
33.0(20.7)*
27.0(21.5) ***
27.8(19.8) ***
WHOQOL-BREF Scoresb
-
-
-
-
     Physiological domain
12.9(2.4)
-
-
13.2(1.9)
     Psychological domain
12.4(2.0)
-
-
12.3(1.5)
     Social domain
13.5(1.9)
-
-
13.6(2.2)
     Environment domain
13.5(1.7)
-
-
13.4(1.5)

a WOMAC refers to the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index.

bWHOQOL – BREF refers to the World Health Organization Quality of Life – brief version.

* indicates P < 0.05; ** indicates P < 0.01; and *** indicates P < 0.001.

Lai et al. Chinese Medicine 2007 2:4   doi:10.1186/1749-8546-2-4