EFFECT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY ON WOMAC SCORES AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

Objective: To assess effect of physical therapy including both physical agents and exercise on pain, physical functioning and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients (25 female and two male) with knee osteoarthritis were included in the study. Besides sociodemographic variables, presence of chronic diseases, analgesic use, recreational activites were recorded. A standard knee examination was performed and anteroposterior and lateral knee radiographs were obtained. Pain was measured using visual analogue scale (VAS), numeric scale and Likert scale. Pain, stiffness and physical function was assessed using Likert-scaled version of the Western Ontario McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). For quality of life evaluation Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) was utilized. Evaluations were done at baseline and 1 month after completion of physical therapy sessions.

Results: Significant reduction of pain measurements namely VAS, numeric scale and Likert scale was observed as a result of physical treatment (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0001 and p = 0.001 respectively). In all 3 subscores of WOMAC (pain, stiffness and physical function) significant improvement was noted due to treatment (p = 0.0001, p = 0.012 and p = 0.0001 respectively). Similarly, physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain and vitality and social functioning subscores demonstrated significant reductions after therapy. (p = 0.039, p = 0.001, p = 0.0001, p = 0.001 and p = 0.035 respectively).

Conclusion: Physical therapy including both physical agents and exercise leads to signifcant improvements in pain, physical functioning and quality of life. This change was demonstrated by both generic and disease specific outcome measures.