Comparison the effectiveness of Extracorporal Shock Wave Therapy and Other Conventional Physiotherapy intervensions on the amount of knee pain in patients with Moderate Knee Osteoartritis

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Extracorporal Shock Wave Therapy and Other Conventional Physiotherapy intervensions on the amount of knee pain in patients with Moderate Knee Osteoartritis (KOA). Materials: In this clinical trial, 75 patients with moderate KOA were randomly assigned into three groups: ESWT with exercise, physiotherapy with exercise and exercise alone. The ESWT with exercise group received 2000 radial shock\session, 5 sessions with energy flux density of 0.18mj/mm2 and the physiotherapy with exercise group received 10 sessions of Hot Pack (74.5 oC), ultrasound and TENS. The outcome was assessed using Visual analogue scale (VAS), western Ontario and McMaster universities (WOMAC), Range of motion (ROM), time to up and go (TUG) and High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (HSCRP). Results: ESWT with exercise, physiotherapy with exercise, and exercise alone were effective in improving VAS, WOMAC total, and TUG score in week 3 (p <0.05). The beneficial effects of all modalities were stable for these parameters up to seven weeks (p <0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the effects of shockwave and physiotherapy in these parameters (p> 0.05) and both were more effective than the exercise alone (p <0.05). Shockwave maintained the benefits of improving VAS in comparison to physiotherapy as well as exercise alone at seven weeks (p <0.05). Shockwave improved the range of motion of the knee in flexion and extension in the third week (p <0.05) and the effects were stable until the seven week (p <0.05).