Effectiveness of Exercise Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis

Objective:To analyze the clinical effectiveness of exercise therapy in combination with physical therapy for knee osteoarthritis.Methods:Total of 72 patients with knee osteoarthritis(OA)were randomly divided into a treatment group(36 patients)and a control group(36 patients).Both groups received physical therapy,and the treatment group received additional exercise therapy.The parameters of assessment included Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)and joint function.Results:After treatment,the VAS was significantly decreased in both groups(P0.01 for treatment group,and P0.05 for control group)and there was significant difference between two groups(P0.05).Meanwhile,knee function of treatment group was improved more significantly than in control group(P0.05).Conclusion:Exercise therapy can decrease the level of pain in knee and improve knee function as well as the quality of life in OA patients.