Electroacupuncture vs topical diclofenac sodium gel for patients with hand osteoarthritis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Abstract Background Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent joint disorder and a great burden to both patients and society.While electroacupuncture (EA) and topical diclofenac sodium gel (DSG) are both currently used to treat OA, no head-to-head study of EA and topical DSG for hand OA exists.Thus, it remains unknown whether one intervention offers