Several individual RCTs demonstrated clinical ly important improvements in pain and disability with aerobic exercise .
Other PT interventions demonstrated no sustained benefit .
Individual RCTs showed similar benefits with aerobic , aquatic , and strengthening exercise .
Adverse events were uncommon and did not deter participants from continuing treatment .
Low-strength evidence suggested that only a few PT interventions were effective .
BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability .
Nonsurgical treatment is a key first step .
PURPOSE Systematic literature review of physical therapy ( PT ) interventions for community-dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis .
Physiotherapy in knee osteoarthrosis: effect on pain and walking.
Patients with knee osteoarthrosis are often referred for physiotherapy and many different types of treatment are given . The value of many of these treatments has been question ed . This study was intended to evaluate the effect of commonly used physiotherapy treatments in a training programme on patients with medial knee osteoarthrosis , scheduled for surgery . The results from this study also provide useful data for further evaluation of different physiotherapy treatments to this patient group . Thirty-four patients were r and omised to physiotherapy three times a week for 5 weeks and the other 34 received no treatment . The training programme is described in detail . The patients were evaluated by clinical examination , step test , gait analysis and isokinetic measurements of thigh muscle strength before and after treatment . The patients in the treatment group experienced a feeling of overall improvement in the knee and the ability to descend steps improved when compared to the control group . There were no significant differences in gait , range of motion or isokinetic measurements of muscle strength between the groups . We conclude that physiotherapy as given here made our patients feel better and their ability to descend stairs improved . These improvements are beneficial to the patients and support the positive effects of exercises and activity . Whilst the objective improvements were small , suggesting that this treatment may not be justified , patients in the treatment group believed that they were improved
Several individual RCTs demonstrated clinical ly important improvements in pain and disability with aerobic exercise .
Other PT interventions demonstrated no sustained benefit .
Individual RCTs showed similar benefits with aerobic , aquatic , and strengthening exercise .
Adverse events were uncommon and did not deter participants from continuing treatment .
Low-strength evidence suggested that only a few PT interventions were effective .
BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability .
Nonsurgical treatment is a key first step .
PURPOSE Systematic literature review of physical therapy ( PT ) interventions for community-dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis .