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 .
Immediate effects of adhesive tape on pain and disability in individuals with knee osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of two knee taping techniques , therapeutic tape and neutral tape , on pain and observed disability in symptomatic generalized knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) . METHODS Using a within-subjects study design , 18 participants were tested under three conditions in r and om order : untaped , wearing therapeutic knee tape and wearing neutral knee tape . Outcome measures included assessment of pain during each of four activities ( using a visual analogue scale ) and assessment of observed disability ( walking speed , timed up and go test , and the step test ) . RESULTS Therapeutic tape significantly reduced pain on three of the four activities assessed , when compared with the neutral and untaped conditions ( P<0.017 ) . The only statistically significant change in observed disability was detected in the step test ( P<0.001 ) , in favour of the therapeutic tape . CONCLUSIONS Therapeutic knee tape is a simple , inexpensive strategy that increases the treatment options for therapists and patients in the conservative management of knee OA . Whilst effective in immediately reducing pain , it does not appear to have a significant immediate impact on observed disability associated with the disease . Therapeutic tape may be used as an adjunct to drug and exercise therapies , potentially augmenting the individual benefits of each
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 .