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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and clinical benefit of a combined non-pharmaceutical Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapy for patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).METHODS: A total of 60 patients with KOA were randomized into three groups (n =20 each): the drug group was treated with standard pharmacotherapy,the treatment group was treated with a combination of electro-acupuncture (EA),needle warming moxibustion (NWM),and Teding Dianci Pu (TDP) therapies,and the combined group was treated with standard pharmacotherapy plus EA,NWM,and TDP therapies.RESULTS: The primary outcome measurements were pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) total and subscale scores.The secondary outcome measurement was score on the Assessment of Quality of Life instrument version of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (AQoL-SF36).After 1 week of treatment,the VAS pain,amount of pain (WOMAC),and total WOMAC scores in the treatment and combined groups were significantly improved compared with both baseline and the drug group (in treatment group,P =0.012,0.027,in combined group,P =0.037,0.005,P ＜ 0.05).After 2 weeks of treatment,these indicators maintained the same trend,and scores of the AQoL-SF36 emotional wellbeing domain increased significantly in the treatment group compared with its baseline and drug group (P =0.041,0.017,P ＜ 0.05).Furthermore,the stiffness,general health,and emotional wellbeing domain scores in the treatment and combined groups were significantly improved compared with baseline and with the drug group (P ＜ 0.05),whereas no significant differences were observed between the treatment and the combined groups.CONCLUSION: The combination of non-pharmaceutical EA,NWM,and TDP therapies showed similar effectiveness with and without concomitant standard pharmacotherapy and may enhance emotional wellbeing in patients with KOA.