EJMS

Abstract

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent and far common debilitating form of arthritis which can be defined as a degenerative condition affecting synovial joint. Patients suffering from osteoarthritis often complain of dull ache pain on movement. Physical agents can fight the painful process when correctly indicated and used such as heat or cold therapy Aim. This study was carried out to: Compare the effects of cold, warm and contrast therapy protocols on knee osteoarthritis outcomes as indicated by pain and knee osteoarthritis problems. Setting: The study was carried out at Ain Shams university hospital in Egypt. Sample: A purposive sample of 60 adult patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis. Tools: Four tools were utilized to collect the data. Tool I: An interview questionnaire. Tool II: Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scale (KOOS). Tool III: 0-10 Numeric pain rating scale. Tool IV: Observational checklist. Results: revelled that the total knee symptoms score was decreased from moderate symptoms pre intervention to mild symptoms after warm and contrast method of therapy, but the contrast therapy had significant effect in reducing the knee symptoms and pain than the other methods. Conclusions: all of the three methods of therapy resulted in improvement in all knee symptoms and pain but the most appropriate protocol of treatment to relive symptoms and pain was the contrast therapy.