Effect of tele-rehabilitation on health outcomes in overweight and obese elderly women with locomotor disabilities from knee osteoarthritis: A randomised controlled trial

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common musculoskeletal disease causing locomotor disability, particularly in elderly women. Obesity and being overweight worsen disease progression and negatively impact mobility and overall health. Obese and overweight women face greater disability and reduced quality of life (QoL) compared to others. Tele-rehabilitation offers a promising approach to improve health outcomes by providing accessible, remote management for this vulnerable group. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of tele-rehabilitation on pain intensity, range of motion (ROM), functional disability, gait parameters, sleep quality, and QoL in overweight and obese middle-aged women with KOA. Methods: Fifty-six eligible participants were randomised into two groups: active group ([Formula: see text]) and control group ([Formula: see text]). Participants in the active group received tele-rehabilitation (supervised training), and the control group received a brochure explaining how to do each exercise. Both groups performed these exercises five times a week for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was pain intensity and the secondary outcome measures were range of motion, functional disability, gait parameters, sleep quality and the QoL. The measurements were taken at baseline, at 2 months, and at the 6-month follow-up. The analysis of variance through a linear mixed model (LMM) was used to compare the effects between the active and control groups. Results: Demographic characteristics such as age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and duration of symptoms did not show any statistically significant differences between the groups ([Formula: see text]). The VAS score at 2 months showed an improvement of 2.47 (95%CI 2.26–2.67) in the active group compared to the control group. Similar effects were noted after 6 months, 1.88 (95%CI 1.80–1.95), follow-up period. Similar statistically significant improvements were found in the secondary outcome measures such as ROM, functional disability, gait parameters (gait velocity, step length, and cadence), sleep quality and QoL ([Formula: see text]). Conclusion: The study found that, tele-rehabilitation proved to be an effective intervention for improving health outcomes in overweight and obese elderly women with locomotor disabilities due to KOA. The findings suggest that remote rehabilitation can reduce pain, enhance mobility, reduce disability, and better QoL, making it a valuable alternative to conventional care in this high-risk population.