Abstract: OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical effect of Traditional Chinese Spinal Orthopedic Manipulation (TCSOM) in treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in comparison with Celecoxib Capsules (CC)， and to assess a possible cause for KOA. METHODS 80 cases of KOA patients in department of Orthopaedic Surgery， Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University form Nov. 2016 to Oct. 2017 were randomly divided into two groups: treatment group and control group， 40 cases in each group. The treatment group was treated by TCSOM， while the control group was treated by CC orally， 200mg each time， once a day. Magnetic resonance examination and floating patellar test were performed on the knee before and 4 weeks after treatment. WOMAC score was used to evaluate KOA before treatment， 4 weeks after treatment and 3 months after treatment， and the improvement rate of osteoarthritis severity index (ISOA) was used to judge the curative effect. RESULTS The degree of synovitis， joint effusion and WOMAC score of KOA in the two groups were significantly improved (P<0.01)， and the improvement in the treatment group was significant (P<0.01). No obvious adverse reactions were found in both groups. CONCLUSION It is a simple and effective method to treat KOA from waist with TCSOM. Displacement of upper lumbar intervertebral disc may be the cause of KOA.