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Comparison of the Efficacy of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, Interferential Currents, and Shortwave Diathermy in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled, Multicenter Study
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 05/02/2012
Atamaz FC et al. – Although all groups showed significant improvements, the authors can suggest that the use of physical therapy agents in knee osteoarthritis (OA) provided additional benefits in improving pain because paracetamol intake was significantly higher in the patients who were treated with 3 sham interventions in addition to exercise and education.
Methods- Primary outcome was a visual analog scale (0–100mm) to assess knee pain.
- Other outcome measures were time to walk a distance of 15m, range of motion, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Nottingham Health Profile, and paracetamol intake (in grams).
- They found a significant decrease in all assessment parameters (P<.05), without a significant difference among the groups except WOMAC stiffness score and range of motion.
- However, the intake of paracetamol was significantly lower in each treatment group when compared with the sham groups at 3 months (P<.05).
- Also, the patients in the IFCs group used a lower amount of paracetamol at 6 months (P<.05) in comparison with the IFCs sham group.
