Comparing the Effectiveness of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching and Passive Joint Mobilization in Patients with Osteoarthritis of Knee Joint

Abstract

Background: In Neuroanatomy, many of its structures and functions are still to be explored newlineby the researchers in humans. These days proving neuroanatomical concepts experimentally in newlinehumans are a big challenge for the researchers. Moreover there exist lacunae in the patientfriendly newlineand cost effective experimental evidence in the field of neuroanatomy related to the newlineconcept of easing pain and proving the structure of dorsal column pathway of spinal cord is newlinenormal in humans. newlineAim and Objectives: newline1. To find out the immediate effects on pain, by stimulation of musculoskeletal newlinemechanoreceptors in osteoarthritis (OA) knee patients, where pain is the primary newlineconcern. newline2. To find out whether stimulation of skeletal muscle mechanoreceptors or joint newlinemechanoreceptors brings rapid decrease in pain, thereby improvement in range of motion newlineand functional activities in osteoarthritis knee patients. newline3. To stimulate skeletal muscle mechanoreceptors by Proprioceptive neuromuscular newlinefacilitation stretching-Contact Relax Antagonist Contract. newline4. To stimulate the joint mechanoreceptors by passive joint mobilization newline5. To prove the structure of dorsal column pathway of spinal cord is normal in OA knee newlinepatients. newlineMaterials and Methods: After getting the institutional ethical committee approval newline[NIMSUNI/IEC/2017/23(4)], a single blinded randomized controlled trail was conducted on 327 newline(145 males and 182 females) Grade 1 and 2 osteoarthritis knee patients of both gender with age newlinegroup 40-60 years in outpatient department of Orthopedics, National Institute of Medical Science newlineHospital and Research, Jaipur. OA knee patients were randomly allocated into Group A (Control newlinegroup), Group B- Experimental group and Group C-Experimental group with 109 patients in newlineeach group using systematic random sampling method. Group A patients received Moist hot newlinepack (MHP), Group B patients received MHP and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation newlinestretching-Contract relax antagonist contract (PNF-CRAC) and Group C patients received MHP newlineand Passive joint mobilization