
Osteoarthritis
Addition of electrophysical modalities to exercise program for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis
BMC Musculoskelet Disord . 2020 Apr 20;21(1):258.One hundred patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomized to receive an 8 week exercise program alone or in addition to interferential current therapy, shortwave diathermy, photobiomodulation or placebo. The primary outcome of interest was physical function score on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis index. Secondary outcomes of interest included WOMAC pain and stiffness scores, pain on a Numeric Rating scale (NRS), pain pressure threshold, self-perceived fatigue on the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) questionnaire, and the sit-to-stand test. Results were assessed upon completion of the 8 week program. Results revealed that the addition of interferential current therapy, shortwave diathermy and photobiomodulation did not significantly improve clinical outcomes compared to exercise alone. The exercise only group displayed significantly greater improvements in WOMAC pain and function, however these differences were not clinically relevant.
Unlock the full article
Get unlimited access to OrthoEvidence with a free trial
Start TrialCritical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics
Or continue reading this full article
Register Now

Subscribe to "The Pulse"
Evidence-Based Orthopaedics direct to your inbox.