Different physical therapy programs effectiveness of reducing pain and improve the function in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Problem of study: Osteoarthritis (OA), in an aging society is becoming increasingly important problem. OA, for the majority of people - is a syndrome consisting of joint pain, stiffness and function because of deteriorating symptoms and who have a significant impact on the quality of life (Conaghan & Sharma, 2009). Patients ill with osteoarthritis are vulnerable to many disabilities in different areas of life: self-service, household chores, work, leisure, movement, sleep (Thorstenson, 2007; Sunden e al. 2007). In order to reduce pain and improve function in patients with knee osteoarthritis, we examined how different physical therapy programes are affecting the pain, balance and strength of the thigh muscles of the patients.. Object of study: changes in pain, balance and muscle strength while applying different physical therapy programs - physical therapy in water, knee joint mobilization, physical therapy room and TENS. Aim of study: to determine the effectiveness of various physical therapy programs for patients with knee osteoarthritis. Goals of study: 1. Establish a clinical indicator – change in the intensity of knee pain with different physical therapy programs; 2. Identify the functional characteristics: static and dynamic balance and change in force of the extensor muscles of the thigh, with different physical therapy programs; 3. To establish which physical therapy program is more effective in reducing pain and improving function - balance and power of the extensor muscles of the thigh. Hypothesis of study: We believe that using aquatic therapy and knee mobilization we will achieve better results in treating knee osteoarthritis than those using physiotherapy room and TENS. Methods and organization of study: The study was conducted in Druskininkai, AB “Eglė\"sanatorium in 2010. 30 osteoarthritis patients were selected for the study and divided into two groups: The first group consisted of 15 patients with OA in both knee joints, have been the subject of several aquatic therapies and joint mobilization (group I) and the second group - 15 patients with osteoarthritis of both knee joints, who were subject to physical therapy in the therapy room and TENS therapy (group II). Both groups were given different physical therapy programs: the first group got the physical therapy program in conjunction with water and knee joint mobilization, and the second - physical therapy room and TENS therapy. The study assessed the clinical indicator - the pain severity and functional characteristics: static and dynamic balance, static thigh muscle strength. Conclusions: 1. The application of different physical therapy programs in several subjects in both groups of knee pain decreased statistically significantly; 2. The application of different physical therapy programs in the two groups investigated static and dynamic balance, and the thigh of extensor muscle has increased statistically significantly; 3. Greater posotive effect, in reducing pain intensity and improving the function in patients with the knee osteoarthritis is reached by using aquatic therapy along with knee joint mobilization than the effect reached with the physical exescise and TENS, altrough no significant statistical difference between the two groups was observed