Knee osteoarthritis treatment : a physiotherapy aproach / Uma abordagem fisioterapeutica no tratamento da osteoartrite de joelho

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

Introduction: This study involves the physiotherapeutic treatment of the knee osteoarthritis (OA) one of the most prevalent diseases of the elderly, although it could be present in people of any age, mainly women with more than 45 years. Osteoarthritis is a disease that involves the joint structures, mainly the articular cartilage from the synovial joints, such as knee, hip, column, hands and feet. The patients complain of pain, stiffness and edema. The sprouting of this disease can be influenced by some factors including race, genetics, hormones, deformities, traumas and many others. The physiotherapy has some therapeutic modalities to diminish the symptoms of the OA of knee, among them the transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation, the ultrasound, flexibility and the isometrics exercises, which had been used in this study. The objective of this study was to determine which of these physiotherapeutic treatments was more efficient for pain, articular stiffness and range of movement (ROM) in the treatment of the OA of knees. Material and Methods: Sixty female patients were selected, with age above of 45 years with diagnosis of OA of the knee. They were randomized in three groups of twenty people for each modality of treatment. Pain was assessed using the visual analogical scale (VAS). We also analyzed the resistance test "six minute walking and the questionnaire "Womac Osteoarthritis Index" was used in order to verify the patients quality of life Results: All the treatments used were efficacious and the patients with OA of the knees presented reduction of pain, improvement of the articular stiffness, of the ROM, reduction of the weight, improvement in the six minute walking and better quality of life for their daily activities. Discussion: There was no statistical difference among groups, except that group EX revealed better performance in the WOMAC questionnaire, in the all domain, suggesting that the inclusion of US or TENS in the treatment of OA of the knees was not necessary

ASSUNTO(S)

osteoarthritis joelho physical therapy (speciality) fisioterapia (especialidade) osteoartrite knee

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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