Electrical stimulation versus muscle strength training for pain reduction in knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Knee osteoarthritis is a condition commonly found in elderly individuals. The pain associated with it often limits these individuals from daily activities, sometimes also resulting in isolation from society. Most elderly individuals may already have prescribed drugs for co-existing medical conditions, hence, they are often reluctant to take more medications. In an effort to decrease polypharmacy in the elderly, this dissertation compares two nonpharmacological substitutes for drugs in order to rule out which is the most effective in treating pain. The research question which was formed in order to guide the researcher through the study was: “In older individuals suffering from knee osteoarthritis, is electrical stimulation as compared to muscle strength training more effective in managing pain?” With regards to the PICO framework, the population (P) included individuals over the age of 50 years suffering from knee osteoarthritis and the intervention (I), electrical stimulation, was compared (C) to muscle strength training. The outcome (O) was pain relief. A search using multiple databases was carried out in order to retrieve relevant articles. The included articles were from the past 10 years and were specifically in English or Maltese. The ages which were included were those from 50 years onwards and could be either male or female suffering from knee osteoarthritis. Three randomized controlled trials, four systematic reviews and two meta-analyses were retrieved. These articles were critically appraised using a critical skills programme tool, which helped the researcher evaluate each study for its reliability and validity. Ethical issues were also addressed. Current literature suggests that both interventions are effective in treating pain, but further research on dosage is still required for both interventions. More research on electrical stimulation and its effects and side effects is also needed. Future research and data collection are recommended with regards to the local situation. Raised awareness through education and workshops on non-pharmacological methods for relieving pain caused by knee osteoarthritis were also suggested. This dissertation found that electrical stimulation and muscle strength training are equally effective in relieving pain in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis.