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Effectiveness of Manual Therapy and Neuromuscular Training in the Management of Knee Osteoarthritis

Effectiveness of Manual Therapy VS Conventional Physical Therapy With Neuromuscular Training in the Management of Knee Osteoarthritis

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05659849
Enrollment
60
Registered
2022-12-21
Start date
2022-06-16
Completion date
2024-06-30
Last updated
2024-07-25

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Knee Osteoarthritis

Keywords

Knee, Osteoarthritis, Manual therapy, TENS, Neuromuscular training

Brief summary

The purpose of the study is to compare the short-term effectiveness of manual therapy with neuromuscular training and conventional physical therapy with neuromuscular training in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Detailed description

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a major public health problem, characterized by progressive degeneration and loss of articular cartilage, resulting in pain, limitation of movement, imbalance, functional disability, and diminished patient quality of life. Regular participation in physical activity has been recognized for several years as being beneficial in the management of knee OA. The role and effectiveness of manual therapy techniques and conventional physical therapy are evident from the existing literature, but no comparison was found for the combination of neuromuscular training (NMT) in patients with knee OA. Thus, the aim of this study is to compare the short-term effectiveness of manual therapy (MT) versus conventional physical therapy (CPT) with NMT in the management of knee OA after six weeks of treatment.

Interventions

Passive joint mobilization techniques are applied to the affected knee joint. For the first week (three sessions), the joint mobilization exercises included grade I or II rhythmic oscillations. During the following weeks, grade III or IV oscillation techniques were applied, depending on the level of tolerance and pain of each patient. In knee distraction, the patients are in a prone position with 50° knee flexion, and the physical therapist applies the techniques. The dorsal and ventral glides was performed with the patient in a supine position.

DEVICETranscutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy treats pain using low-voltage electric currents. A small device administers the electrical current to or near nerves. TENS treatment inhibits or changes pain perception.

Sponsors

University of Tabuk
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
40 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Complaining of knee pain that has lasted longer than 3 months. * Pain level that is medium (pain score greater than or equal to 4). * No knee injuries. * Treatment not received in another physical therapy clinic in the past three months. * Painful range of motion in the knee.

Exclusion criteria

* History of knee surgery * A systemic arthritic condition * Any other muscular, joint, or neurological condition affecting lower limb function. * Received physical therapy or an intra-articular injection in the knee within the past 3 months.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Numeric Pain Rating Scale6 weeksThe average pain intensity over the last week at the time of testing was measured on a numerical pain rating scale, where 0 represented no pain and 10 represented the worst pain possible.
Goniometric measurement for ROM6 weeksTo check the range of motion (ROM) of the knee joint, the joint will be extended as far as it can go while the person is lying on their back three times. The angle at the maximum flexion position was measured with a goniometer, and the average angle was recorded.
Western Ontario and Mc Master Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC)6 weeksIt is a questionnaire for the evaluation of treatment results in patients with lower extremity osteoarthritis, and it divides difficulties in daily living into scales. WOMAC scores are recorded on a five-point Likert scale of 0-4, where 0 = no pain or limitation, 1 = mild pain or limitation, 2 = moderate pain or limitation, 3 = severe pain or limitation, and 4 = extreme pain or limitation. Maximum scores for pain, stiffness and physical functions were 20, 8, and 68, respectively, with total scores of 96 indicating greater disease severities.
Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36)6 weeksThis instrument consists of 36 items, grouped into eight domains: functional capacity, physical aspects, pain, general health, vitality, social aspects, emotional aspects, and mental health. A measurement scale with values ranging from 0 (the worst health status) to 100 (the best health status) was used to give each subject and each of the eight dimensions a score.
Single-leg stance time test6 weeksThis test has been used to assess static standing balance in individuals with knee OA. The single-leg stance test was measured by recording the time in seconds (30s maximum) while participants are asked to balance on one leg while keeping their hands on their hips. The test starts when the free foot lifts off the ground and is stopped if: (1) the swing limb touches the ground; (2) the stance foot moves on the floor; (3) the swing foot touches the tested limb; or (4) the hands move away from the hips.

Countries

Saudi Arabia

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026