TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of pulsed short-wave diathermy on pain and function of subjects with osteoarthritis of the knee
T2 - A placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial
AU - Laufer, Yocheved
AU - Zilberman, R.
AU - Porat, R.
AU - Nahir, A. M.
PY - 2005/5
Y1 - 2005/5
N2 - Objective: To examine the effects of pulsed short-wave diathermy (PSWD), delivered at an intensity sufficient to induce a thermal sensation and at an athermal intensity, in comparison with a placebo short-wave diathermy treatment, on reported pain, stiffness and functional ability and on mobility performance of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Design: A placebo-controlled double-blind trial with sequential allocation of patients to different treatment groups. Setting: Outpatient physiotherapy department. Subjects: One hundred and three consecutive patients, mean age 73.7 (±6.6) years with osteoarthritis of one or both knees for at least three months. Interventions: All participants received three 20-min-long treatments per week for three weeks. One group received PSWD with mean power of 18 W (thermal effect), one group received PSWD with mean power of 1.8 W (athermal effect), and one group received sham short-wave diathermy treatment. Patients were assessed before the initial treatment, immediately following the last treatment, and at a three-month follow-up. Main measures: Outcome measures included the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index, which assessed reported pain, stiffness, and functional ability, and four measures of mobility performance: Timed Get Up and Go test (TGUG), stair-climbing, stair-descending and a 3-min walk. Results: A difference across time was observed for the pain and stiffness categories of the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index (p = 0.033 and p = 0.008, respectively), with no differences between groups. No other significant differences across time or between groups were observed in any of the other measures. Conclusion: The findings do not demonstrate pulsed short-wave diathermy, as it is utilized in clinical settings, to be effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.
AB - Objective: To examine the effects of pulsed short-wave diathermy (PSWD), delivered at an intensity sufficient to induce a thermal sensation and at an athermal intensity, in comparison with a placebo short-wave diathermy treatment, on reported pain, stiffness and functional ability and on mobility performance of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Design: A placebo-controlled double-blind trial with sequential allocation of patients to different treatment groups. Setting: Outpatient physiotherapy department. Subjects: One hundred and three consecutive patients, mean age 73.7 (±6.6) years with osteoarthritis of one or both knees for at least three months. Interventions: All participants received three 20-min-long treatments per week for three weeks. One group received PSWD with mean power of 18 W (thermal effect), one group received PSWD with mean power of 1.8 W (athermal effect), and one group received sham short-wave diathermy treatment. Patients were assessed before the initial treatment, immediately following the last treatment, and at a three-month follow-up. Main measures: Outcome measures included the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index, which assessed reported pain, stiffness, and functional ability, and four measures of mobility performance: Timed Get Up and Go test (TGUG), stair-climbing, stair-descending and a 3-min walk. Results: A difference across time was observed for the pain and stiffness categories of the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index (p = 0.033 and p = 0.008, respectively), with no differences between groups. No other significant differences across time or between groups were observed in any of the other measures. Conclusion: The findings do not demonstrate pulsed short-wave diathermy, as it is utilized in clinical settings, to be effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=17344371750&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1191/0269215505cr864oa
DO - 10.1191/0269215505cr864oa
M3 - Article
C2 - 15859526
AN - SCOPUS:17344371750
SN - 0269-2155
VL - 19
SP - 255
EP - 263
JO - Clinical Rehabilitation
JF - Clinical Rehabilitation
IS - 3
ER -