In a study in patients aged ≥50 years with moderate or severe chronic knee pain, neither laser acupuncture nor needle acupuncture was effective for improving pain or function. The trial allocated 282 community volunteers to treatment with needle acupuncture (n = 70), laser acupuncture (n = 71), sham laser acupuncture (n = 70) or no acupuncture (n = 71) by family physician acupuncturists. Pain, as measured on a 1–10 numeric rating scale, and physical function, as measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), did not differ between the laser acupuncture, needle acupuncture and sham acupuncture groups after 12 weeks of treatment. Compared with no acupuncture, needle and laser acupuncture resulted in modest improvements in pain at 12 weeks but these differences were not maintained at 1 year.