Table 3 Outcome measures before and after treatment in the study groups

NRS for pain (mean ± SD)

I II

p value¹

6.2 ± 3.1

6.3 ± 2.9

0.64

1.7 ± 3.5

5.7 ± 3.1

0.000*

0.000*

0.10

MS, min (mean ± SD)

I II

p value¹

68.5 ± 26.5

68.9 ± 22.7

0.19

13.2 ± 31.7

63.5 ± 27.8

0.000*

0.000*

0.14

TJC (mean ± SD)

I II

p value¹

10.2 ± 10.6

9.8 ± 9.4

0.07

4.2 ± 9.7

9.4 ± 9.7

0.000*

0.000*

0.10

SJC (mean ± SD)

I II

p value¹

7.3 ± 8.2

7.3 ± 7.9

0.98

3.2 ± 8.0

6.9 ± 8.1

0.000*

0.000*

0.06

ESR 1st hour (mean ± SD

I II

p value¹

52.0 ± 16.7

52.2 ± 19.0

0.78

19.2 ± 22.3

48.2 ± 23.5

0.000*

0.000*

0.06

RF titer (mean ± SD)

I II

p value¹

99.6 ± 73.1

101.2 ± 76.2

0.65

45.1 ± 62.4

96.0 ± 80.1

0.000*

0.000*

0.07

GSUS synovitis score (mean ± SD)

I II

p value¹

1.9 ± 0.8

1.8 ± 0.8

0.41

0.7 ± 1.1

1.5 ± 0.8

0.02*

0.000*

0.11

PDUS score (mean ± SD)

I II

p value¹

0.9 ± 0.8

0.9 ± 0.8

1.00

0.3 ± 0.73

0.95 ± 0.82

0.01*

0.006*

0.86