Effects Of Hot-compress And Low-medium-frequency-electrotherapy On Pain And Dynamic Stability Among Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common degenerative diseases among older adults, resulting in pain and reduced dynamic stability during walking, which severely limits activities of daily living and locomotion ability. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of an 8-week hot compress (TC) combined with low-medium frequency electrotherapy (LMFE) on pain and dynamic stability during walking among older adults with KOA. METHODS: Twenty-nine older adults with KOA were recruited and randomly divided into TC + LMFE (n = 15,69.4 ± 2.8 years,159.9 ± 6.0 cm, and 68.9 ± 8.7 kg) and TC (n = 14,69.1 ± 2.0 years,161.0 ± 6.9 cm, and 68.2 ± 9.7 kg) groups. The TC + LMFE group received TC + LMFE treatment, and the TC group received TC treatment for 8 weeks with three 40-minute sessions per week. All participants were assessed for pain and dynamic stability before (week0) and after (week9) the intervention. The pain score was recorded using the “walk on the ground” subscale of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), and dynamic stability was recorded by a twelve-camera motion analysis system synchronized with two force plates. Two-way ANOVA with repeated measures was employed to analyze the data. RESULTS: Significant group-by-intervention interactions were detected in the pain score (p = 0.028, η2p = 0.176) and margin of stability (MOS) (p = 0.011, η2p = 0.217). Post hoc comparisons showed that compared with week0, the pain score (TC+ LMFE group: week0 = 5.40 ± 2.27, week9 = 2.20 ± 0.98, p < 0.001, d = 1.828; TC group: week0 = 4.93 ± 1.91, week9 = 3.29 ± 1.28, p = 0.002, d = 1.012) was decreased in both groups at week9, while the MOS (week0 = -0.12 ± 0.17, week9 = -0.04 ± 0.11, p < 0.001, d = 1.117) was decreased only in the TC+ LMFE group at week9. The pain score of the TC+ LMFE group was lower than that of the TC group at week9 (TC+ LMFE group: week9 = 2.20 ± 0.98, TC group: week9 = 3.29 ± 1.28, p = 0.019, d = 0.954). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the TC, the TC+ LMFE for 8 weeks was more effective in relieving pain and improving dynamic stability during walking among older adults with KOA. It is recommended that LMFE should be adopted after TC to enhance the effects of KOA rehabilitation.