In recent years, the combination of acupuncture and medication in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) has continuously broken through traditional joint methods. From acupuncture combined with oral administration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and external TCM therapy, a variety of combined acupuncture-medication technologies have been gradually developed, such as electroacupuncture-guided drug delivery, nano-microneedles, and chemical drug-loaded acupuncture instruments. These technologies have further increased the concentration of drugs accumulated at the lesion site and prolonged their action time.Meanwhile, the combination of acupuncture and medication, integrated with TCM syndrome differentiation, has demonstrated individualized application schemes, showing better effects in analgesia, anti-inflammation, and cartilage protection. Studies have shown that, in the treatment of KOA, the combined use of acupuncture and medication is superior to single acupuncture or single medication in relieving pain, improving joint function, inhibiting inflammatory responses, and delaying joint degeneration. Moreover, emerging combined acupuncture-medication technologies are expected to promote the development of precision and standardization in the application of acupuncture-medication combination for KOA treatment.