Functional Brain Imaging - Acupuncture and Osteoarthritis

Inclusion criteria: Seen in an outpatient clinical setting Have active knee OA of >6 months including Kellgren x-ray changes >2 from an x-ray report <12 months old or new x-ray interpretation Moderate unilateral only pain (average >4/10 on a 0-10 likert scale) for more than 5 out of 7 days Have the capacity to understand the requirements of the study and complete the baseline studies in a reasonable time frame, as determined by the interviewer Exclusion criteria: Having had acupuncture before (must be acupuncture naïve) Any history of claustrophobia that could affect the subject's ability to tolerate the f-MRI study Hip or ankle disease by history or exam severe enough to cause pain >2/10 daily Bleeding disorder or current use of warfarin or heparin by patient history Other primary causes of chronic knee pain, per the referring physician, including chondromalacia patella, torn meniscus or ligament injury.