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 .
Effect of a walking program on gait characteristics in patients with osteoarthritis.
This paper reports the results of a study of the gait of 102 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee . Functional status was measured by a 6-min test of walking distance ; the stride characteristics associated with the walk test were assessed . Stride characteristics were measured by a Stride Analyzer . Patients were r and omized to an 8-week educational and walking program ( the intervention group ) or to a weekly telephone survey ( the control group ) . The intervention group patients had a 15 % increase in walking distance ( P < 0.0001 ) and increases of 9.1 % in stride length at free walking speeds ( P < 0.007 ) and 17 % in stride length at fast walking speeds ( P < 0.01 ) compared to the control group . The results of this study have shown that the walking and educational program was effective in improving gait function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee
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 .