Effectiveness of aerobic exercise with Shortwave Diathermy versus strengthening exercise with Shortwave Diathermy in Osteoarthritis Knee

Abstract

Background of the study: Osteoarthritis is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders, characterized by progressive degeneration of the articular cartilage, resulting in loss of joint space. The objective of the study was to show the effectiveness of aerobic exercise with shortwave diathermy versus strengthening exercise with shortwave diathermy for people with OA. Methodology: It was an experimental study with pre and post comparative test type. The Study was conducted at physiotherapy OPD, ACS Hospital, Chennai. 30 subjects of both male and female with age group of 50 to 60 years with a clinical diagnosis of Osteoarthritis were randomly selected and equally divided into two groups. Group A received aerobic exercise with shortwave diathermy and Group B received strengthening exercise with shortwave diathermy for 3 sessions per week for 6 weeks. WOMAC, osteoarthritis index and sit to stand test were used as outcome measures. Results: Comparative study between Group A and Group B showed a significant difference in knee function with P value >0.0001. Conclusion: The study concluded that strengthening exercise with shortwave diathermy was more effective than aerobic exercise with shortwave diathermy on knee function among OA patients. Received on 30 April 2021, Revised on May 14 2021, Accepted on 22 May 2021 DOI:10.36678/IJMAES.2021.V07I02.003