Background & Aims
Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the major underlying causes of pain in the eldery population (1). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a specifically designed exercise program in reducing pain and improving function in hip OA patients.
Methods
This retrospective trial included 44 patients (23 women and 21 men; mean age 63.7±16.38 years). Participants were recruited from the database of the outpatient settings from the Medical Rehabilitation Clinic, Clinical Centre of Vojvodina. OA was diagnosed following the American College of Rheumatology clinical and radiographic criteria for hip OA. Patients were divided into two groups: the study group (22 subjects who received a specifically designed exercise program, transcutaneous electrical stimulation, and drug therapy) and the control group (22 subjects who received only drug therapy). Rehabilitation treatment included 5 sessions per week and lasted for 6 weeks. The exercises consisted of active and active-resistance mobilizations of the hips and lower limbs. Outcome measures were patients’ visual analog pain score and the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) for overall disability, assessed at baseline and 6 months follow-up.
Results
Patients in the study group had greater pain reduction than patients in the control group on the visual analog pain scale (p = 0.021) vs. the control group (p = 0.375) at 6 months follow-up. Overall disability measured by the WOMAC index reduced more significantly in the study group (p = 0.005) vs. the control group (p =0.093).
Conclusions
Specifically designed exercise program combined with transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS), and drug therapy shows greater potential for pain relief than the sole application of drug therapy and have a greater impact in reducing disability.
References
1. Simi?-Pani? D, Boškovi? K, Kneževi? A, Zveki?-Svorcan J, Tomaševi?-Todorovi? S, Spasojevi?, T. Hip osteoarthritis – update on etiopathogenesis, clinical presentation and management. Medicinski pregled 2022;75(2):62-7.
Presenting Author
Snežana Tomaševi?-Todorovi?
Poster Authors
Dušica Simi?-Pani?
Assistant professor
Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
Lead Author
Snežana Tomaševi?-Todorovi?
MD
Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
Lead Author
Ksenija Boškovi?
MD
Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
Lead Author
Aleksandar Kneževi?
MD
Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
Lead Author
Slobodan Pantelinac
MD
Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
Lead Author
Tijana Spasojevi?
Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
Lead Author
Topics
- Specific Pain Conditions/Pain in Specific Populations: Rheumatology, Arthritis, and Other