Integrated approach may be best for knee arthritis

	Tweet

Therapy that includes exercise, ultrasound and hyaluronan injections appears to be effective for relieving the pain and disability caused by knee osteoarthritis, according to a report by Taiwanese researchers.

Hyaluronan injected into affected joints basically provides lubrication and eases pain. Exercise and ultrasound have also been shown to be helpful. To see if an integrated approach combining a variety of methods would increase the benefits, Dr. Mao-Hsiung Huang and colleagues at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital evaluated 140 patients with moderate osteoarthritis in both knees.

The participants were randomly assigned to receive their usual care (the control group); to receive muscular strengthening exercises alone or in combination with pulse ultrasound; or to receive both of these interventions as well as hyaluronan injections into the knee joints. Treatments sessions were conducted three times per week for 8 weeks.

All patients who received treatment showed increased muscle peak torque and significant reductions in pain and disability after treatment and after 8 weeks, the researchers report in the medical journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.

Patients in groups with two or three interventions showed significant improvements in range of motion and ambulation as well as significant gains in muscular strength.

Patients in groups with three interventions had the greatest gains in muscle strength and also showed the greatest increase in walking speed and decrease in disability.

“Osteoarthritis is not a simple wear-and-tear phenomenon,” the researchers say. Therefore, they conclude, a combination strategy with multiple interventions may be necessary for successful treatment.

SOURCE: Arthritis and Rheumatism, December 15, 2005.

RELATED STORIES:
Novel autoantibodies identified in patients with necrotizing myopathy   Physiotherapy may not reduce knee arthritis pain   Job rates lower for people with arthritic diseases   Genes in rheumatoid arthritis   Osteoarthritis ‘link to heart disease’   Misaligned legs, extra pounds worsen bad knees   Arthritis grips 25 percent of Americans   New mutant genes linked to rheumatoid arthritis   Anti-TNF therapy safe for rheumatoid arthritis   Achieving realistic physical activity goals benefits RA patients   Ongoing relationship with care provider key for patients with a chronic condition: UBC study   Biologics for rheumatoid arthritis work, but which is best?

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]