UTILIZATION OF PULSED ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD AND TRADITIONAL PHYSIOTHERAPY IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS MANAGEMENT

Background and Objectives: Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) has been suggested as a treatment method for musculoskeletal system disorders. The present study was conducted to determine whether the addition of PEMF to traditional physical program produces better clinical outcomes than traditional physical program alone in the management of moderate knee osteoarthritis (OA). Design: A single-blinded, randomized controlled study Methods: Twenty subjects (5 men and 15 women) with unilateral moderate knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence criteria grade 2). They were randomly allocated in 2 groups to receive: group (A) PEMF plus ultrasound plus exercises; or (B) ultrasound plus exercises. Both groups received the respective treatments 3 times per week for 4 weeks and underwent the same pretreatment and post treatment evaluation that included active knee range of motion (ROM) by universal goniometer, knee pain score by visual analogue scale (VAS) and knee functional performance by Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC). Result: There was an improvement in both groups in active knee flexion ROM, reduced VAS score and improved WOMAC index , however, all outcomes were significantly better in group (A) (p <0.05). Moreover, the percentages of outcomes improvement were in favor of group (A). Conclusion: The addition of PEMF to traditional physical program in managing OA produced a greater improvement in pain relief, range of motion and resulted in better functional performance than did traditional physical program alone. The improvement in current study should be limited to short term outcomes of PEMF.