Effect of warm reinforcing acupuncture combined with whole-body vibration training on knee joint function and inflammatory factors in stroke patients with knee osteoarthritis

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of warm reinforcing acupuncture (WRA) combined with wholebody vibration training (WBVT) on knee joint function and inflammatory factors in patients with stroke complicated by knee osteoarthritis (KOA).Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 207 patients with stroke complicated by KOA admitted to our hospital between March 2023 and March 2025.A total of 93 patients received WRA combined with WBVT and routine treatment (observation group); the remaining 114 patients received only routine treatment (control group).Baseline characteristics, clinical efficacy, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores, Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale (LKSS) scores, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores, Barthel Index (BI) scores, and serum inflammatory factor levels (C-reactive protein [CRP], tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], and interleukin-6 [IL-6]) were compared between the two groups.Results: After treatment, the observation group showed significantly greater improvement than the control group in WOMAC score (pain, stiffness, daily living function), LKSS score, VAS score, and BI score (all P