Research progress on the mechanism of moxibustion in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis in the past decade

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common, highly disabling degenerative osteoarthropathy among middle-aged and elderly people. Moxibustion has been widely used in the treatment of KOA and exerts effects through multiple pathways with remarkable curative effects. This paper retrieved the relevant literature on moxibustion in the treatment of KOA at home and abroad in the past 10 years. After sorting and summarizing, it elaborated on the effective mechanisms of moxibustion from aspects such as inhibiting inflammatory responses, promoting the repair of joint tissues, regulating immunity and gut microbiota. Based on the current research, it also carried out thinking and prospects, aiming to provide references for relevant mechanism research in the future.