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 .
Does short-wave diathermy increase the effectiveness of isokinetic exercise on pain, function, knee muscle strength, quality of life, and depression in the patients with knee osteoarthritis? A randomized controlled clinical study.
BACKGROUND Knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) is a painful condition causing disability and muscle weakness . Shortwave diathermy ( SWD ) is one of several physical therapy modalities and used predominantly as a pain reduction modality in the clinical practice . However , the efficacy of SWD in knee OA is still inconclusive . AIM The aim of this study was to determine if SWD increase the effectiveness of isokinetic exercise on pain , function , muscle strength , quality of life and depression in patients with OA . DESIGN This was a r and omised , controlled clinical trial . SETTING Inpatient Physiotherapy Department . POPULATION Forty women aged between 42 and 74 years , with a diagnosis of bilateral primary knee OA . METHODS Patients were sequentially r and omized into two groups . Group 1 ( N.=20 ) received SWD and isokinetic muscular strengthening exercises . Group 2 ( N.=20 ) served as control group and they received isokinetic exercises only . Both of the programs were performed three days a week , for a duration of four weeks , and a total of 12 sessions . Patients were assessed before treatment ( BT ) , after treatment ( AT ) , and at a three-month follow-up ( F ) . Outcome measures included visual analogue scale , Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index , six minute walking distance , isokinetic muscle testing , Short Form 36 and Beck depression index . RESULTS The patients with OA in each group had significant improvements in pain , disability , depression , walking distance , muscle strength , and quality of life AT and F when compared with their initial status ( P<0.05 ) . There was no statistically significant difference between the groups according to all the parameters regarding the change scores between AT-BT test and F-BT test ( P>0.05 ) except some isokinetic peak torque measurements ( F-BT scores of extension right 60 ° , 120 ° and flexion right 60 ° ) . CONCLUSION Use of SWD in addition to isokinetic exercise program seems to have no further significant effect in terms of pain , disability , walking distance , muscle strength , quality of life and depression in patients with knee OA . CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT Considering the time and cost of combination therapy is now , the isokinetic exercise program , as it is efficient , may be preferable for the treatment of knee OA , alone
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 .