Effectiveness of therapeutic exercise and yoga on pain physical disability psychological well being and mobility among middle aged patients with knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the main reasons for pain and physical disability in aging adult. Normally patients with knee osteoarthritis encounter restrained attendance in exercise and practice of their interests. As there is a growing prevalence and high impact of knee osteoarthritis symptoms, it is necessary to find low-price, easy-to-administer, nonpharmacological management to relieve its symptoms. newline newlineObjectives newline newlineTo evaluate the effect of four weeks of therapeutic exercise and yoga programme on pain, physical disability, psychological well-being and mobility in patients with knee osteoarthritis. newline newlineMethodology newline newlineThe study was a prospective quantitative experimental research with a pretest-posttest control group design, involving three groups conducted in a physical medicine and rehabilitation centre in Puducherry. Subjects of age 50-65 years with knee osteoarthritis (n=186) were randomized into three groups namely therapeutic exercise, yoga, and control groups. Knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS), Visual analogue scale (VAS), timed up and go test (TUG), and psychological general well being (PGWB) index were used to assess physical disability, pain, mobility, and psychological well being of knee osteoarthritis patients, respectively. After the pre test, the therapeutic exercise group subjects received therapeutic exercise and hot packs, the yoga group received yoga and hot packs, and the control group received standard physiotherapy care. The period of training was four weeks, three times in a week, with the experiments conducted under direct monitoring of the examiner. newlineIn the present study there were novel benefits with therapeutic exercise. Hence, it can be concluded that therapeutic exercise is the most efficient way to reduce pain and physical disability, and improve psychological well being and mobility of knee osteoarthritis patients.