Changes In Muscle Strength And Balance In Patients With Osteoarthritis Of The Knee In Jordan By The Effect Of Self-Management Program Versus Routine Physiotherapy Program: Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Question: Is self-management program would be more effective than routine physiotherapy treatment on knee muscle strength and balance in people with OA of the knee?Design: a randomized comparative single blind clinical study with a repeated measures design was utilized to investigate the effect of the two intervention programs on people with osteoarthritis of the knee. Participants: one hundred and ten volunteers were recruited. Seventy-six women and 34 men with a mean (SD) age of 57(7) years with confirmed diagnoses of OA of the knee joint were recruited. Interventions: two intervention groups were compared. Both groups received treatment including the Jordan arthritis self-management program (JASMP) was offered twice a week for a one-hour session for 6/52 and the routine physiotherapy program (RPP) offered twice weekly physiotherapy modalities for 6 weeks. Outcome measures: the main outcome measures were muscle strength and balance. Results: There was a significant improvement in both groups comparing between baseline and post-intervention (p<0.001). The improvement in the JASMP group was sustained at the 6 month follow-up, whereas in the RPP the initial improvement gradually declined and was no longer significant at 4 and 6 months follow-up time point. Conclusion: these findings suggest that JASMP may play a role in improving muscle strength and balance in older Arabic-speaking people with osteoarthritis of the knee living in Jordan. Moreover, the instruments tested appeared appropriate and sufficiently for people with osteoarthritis of the knee in Jordan.