EFFECT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM ON LEG STRENGTH AND HEALTH STATUS OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS PATIENTS

Mr. Shafi Mohammad and Dr. Brij Kishore Prasad

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is a pathological condition defined by loss of articular cartilage. Knee OA typically have knee pain, joint stiffness, deficits in proprioception, and decreased muscle strength (force-generating capacity). As OA grows, pain could be further unrelenting and may emerge while resting and in the night also. Hardness in the morning is usually associated with inflammation. For this study, total fifty (N=50) male knee osteoarthritis patients were purposively selected from Etawah (U.P.). The age of all the subjects was ranging from 45-60 years. All the subjects were randomly divided into two groups (Experimental Group-25, Control Group-25). Physical activity program is followed by the patients for 14 Weeks (6 days/week) and total time duration of every session was 25 to 40 minutes including warming up, strengthening exercises, Thera Tube exercises and cool down exercises. The variables selected for the study were leg strength and functional status of knee osteoarthritis patients. Leg Strength and functional status of knee OA patients were measured by leg dynamometer and WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities) index of knee osteoarthritis. Findings of the present study support the usefulness of prescribing various physical activity programs with general exercise, Thera-Tube and cool down exercises to the patients with osteoarthritis of the knee as a method to enhance their leg strength and functional status of knee osteoarthritis patients.

Keywords: Inflammation, WOMAC index, Strengthening exercises and Thera Tube.