Assessment of the effect of local nitrogen cryotherapy and interferential currents in osteoarthritis of the hip joints on improving their function in women

Abstract Introduction. Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease that limits mobility of joints and causes severe pain. The functioning of sufferers can be supported by physiotherapy, including that conducted with local cryotherapy and interferential currents. Material and methods. The study included 90 female patients with hip osteoarthritis. They were divided into three groups of 30. One of them was the control group. In two other groups, local cryotherapy was implemented, or interferential currents were used. To evaluate the effectiveness of the selected physiotherapeutic methods, the Thomas test, the Trendelenburg and Duchenne sign, the “Get up and Go” test, the test involving stationary bicycle riding, the VAS scale, the modified questionnaire of pain indicators according to Laitinen, the WOMAC questionnaire and the Lequesne index were used. Aim of the study. The goal of the thesis is to determine the effect of selected physical treatments: local cryotherapy and interferential currents on hip joint function in hip osteoarthritis in female patients. Results. The use of local cryotherapy and interferential currents helped to increase hip joint function and reduce pain in patients with hip osteoarthritis. The beneficial effect of these therapies was demonstrated using statistical tests. Conclusions. Local cryotherapy and the use of interferential currents have a positive effect on the hip joint function in hip osteoarthritis in female patients. What is more, the former method is more effective in treating pain, also because the positive changes last longer.