Effect of Cold, Warm or Contrast Therapy on Controlling Knee Osteoarthritis Associated Problems

Authors: Amal E. Shehata, Manal E. Fareed

Abstract:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent and far common debilitating form of arthritis which can be defined as a degenerative condition affecting synovial joint. Patients suffering from osteoarthritis often complain of dull ache pain on movement. Physical agents can fight the painful process when correctly indicated and used such as heat or cold therapy Aim. This study was carried out to: Compare the effect of cold, warm and contrast therapy on controlling knee osteoarthritis associated problems. Setting: The study was carried out in orthopedic outpatient clinics of Menoufia University and teaching Hospitals, Egypt. Sample: A convenient sample of 60 adult patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis. Tools: three tools were utilized to collect the data. Tool I : An interviewing questionnaire. It comprised of three parts covering  sociodemographic data, medical data and adverse effects of the treatment protocol. Tool II : Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) It consists of five main parts. Tool II1 : 0-10 Numeric pain rating scale. Results: reveled that the total knee symptoms score was decreased from moderate symptoms pre intervention to mild symptoms after warm and contrast method of therapy, but the contrast therapy had significant effect in reducing the knee symptoms and pain than the other symptoms. Conclusions: all of the three methods of therapy resulted in improvement in all knee symptoms and pain but the most appropriate protocol of treatment to relive symptoms and pain was contrast therapy.

Keywords: Knee Osteoarthritis, Cold, Warm and Contrast Therapy.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1087646

References:

[1] Mühlen C. (2000). Osteoartrose: Como diagnosticar e tratar. Rev Bras Med.; 57(3):150-5.
[2] Michael J., Schluter- Brust K. and Eysel P . (2010). The epidmiology, etiology, diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Dtsch Arztbel Int.; 107(9): 152-62.
[3] Pellino T., Salmond S. and Maher A. (2002). Orthopedic Nursing, Degenerative Disorders.3ed ed. London. W.B. Saunders comp.; 468-73.
[4] Tsauo J., Cheng P.and Yang R. (2008). The effects of sensormotor training on knee proprioception and function for patients with knee osteoarthritis: A preliminary reporter. Clinical Rehabilitation; 25(1):217-23.
[5] Chen D. (2007). Updated therapy in elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis. International Journal of Gerontology; 1(1): 36–8.
[6] Zhang W., Moskowitz R. and Nuki G.(2007). QARSI recommendations for the management of hip and knee osteoarthritis, part I: Critical appraisal of existing treatment guidelines and systemic review of current research evidence. Osteoarthritis Cartilage;15(9): 981-1000.
[7] Cetin N., Aytar A., Atalay A. and Akman M. (2008). Comparing hot pack, short-wave diathermy, ultrasound, and TENSon isokinetic strength, pain and functional status of women with osteoarthritis knees: Asingle- blind randomized controlled trial. Am J Phys Med Rehabil.;87(6): 443-51.
[8] Oosterveid F. and Rasker J. (1994). Treating arthritis with locally applied heat or cold. Semin Arthritis Rheum.; 24(2):82-90.
[9] SooHoo N., Lieberman J., Ko C. and Zingmond D. (2006). Factors predicting complication rate following total knee replacement. J Bone Joint Surg Am. ; 88 (3): 480-5.
[10] Brosseau L., Yonge K., Welch V., Marchand S., Judd M., Wells G. and Tugwell P. (2003). Thermotherapy for treatment of osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews;4(1):1-3.
[11] Berarducci A. (2007).Continuous heat therapy: Can it have an impact? Arthritis practitioner; 1(1):1-8.
[12] Roos E. and Lohmander L . (2003). The knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS): from joint injury to osteoarthritis. Health Qual Life Outcomes; 3(1): 1-64.
[13] McCaffery M. and Beebe A . (1993). Pain: Clinical Manual for Nursing Practice. Baltimore :v.v. Mosby company.
[14] Lawrence R., Helmic C. and Arnett F. (2001).Prevalence of arthritis in United State. Morbidity and mortality weekly report; 50(1):334-6.
[15] Rabenda V., Manette C. and Lemmens R. (2006).Direct and indirect costs attributable to osteoarthritis in active subjects. J Rheumatol.; 33(1):1152-8.
[16] Sarzi-puttini P., Cimmino M., Scarpa R., Caporali R., Parazzini F., Zaninelli A. and Caneis A . (2003).Osteoarthritis: An overview of the disease and its treatment stratigies. Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism; 35(8): 1-10.
[17] Lievense A., Bierma-zeinstra S., Verhagen A., Bernsen M., Verhaar J. and Koes B . (2003).Influence of sporting activities on the development of osteoarthritis of the hip: A systematic review. Arthritis care Res.; 49(1): 228-36.
[18] Coggen D. , Croft R., McLaren D., Barrett D. and Cooper C . (2001).Knee osteoarthritis and obesity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord; 21(1): 622-7.
[19] Shaban H. (2010). The impact of obesity on quality of life of osteoarthritic women. Unpublished master dissertation, Faculty of Nursing, Menoufiya University.
[20] Roberts D. and Lappe J . (2001). Management of Clients with Musculoskeletal Disorders. Medical –Surgical Nursing. A Psychophysiologic approach,6th ed. Philadelphia. WB Saunders; 551-86.
[21] Cicuttini F. and Grainger R . (2004). Medical management of osteoarthritis of the knee and hip joints. MJA.; 180(5): 232-6.
[22] Zhang W., Moskowitz R.,Nuki G., Abramson S.Altman M., Arden M., Bierma-Zeinstra M., Brandt M., Croft M., Doherty M., Dougados M., Hochchberg K.,Hunter D., Kwoh K.,Lohmander l. and Tugwell P . (2008). OARSI recommendations for the management of hip and knee osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and cartilage; 16(2): 137-62.
[23] Hulme J., Robinson V., DeBie R., Wells G., Judd M. and Tugwell P. (2002).Electromagnetic fields for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev; 1(1): 3523.
[24] Brosseau L., Yonge K. , Robinson V., Marchand S., Judd M. Wells G. and Tugwell P . (2003). Thermotherapy for treatment of osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev; 4522(3): 1.
[25] Bleakley C., McDonough S. and MacAuley D . (2006). Cryotherapy for acute ankle sprains: Arandomized controlled study of two different icing protocols. Br J Sports Med; 40(8): 700-5.
[26] Garg V. (2008). Thermotherapy. Your total health at iVillage Inc. Retrieved into 3-1- 2013.
[27] Lofgren M. and Norrbrink C . (2009). Pain relief in women with fibromyalgia: A cross over study of superficial warmth stimulation and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. J Rehabil Med.; 41(7): 557- 26.
[28] Bonham S., Gall T. Werder Y . and Petersen W . (205). The effect of a contrast therapy recovery technique on the post one hour performance of netball players. University of Otago, Dunedin.
[29] Denegar C., Doughert D. Friedman J., Schimizzi M., James E. Comstock B. and Kraemer W . (2010). Preferences for heat, cold or contrast in patients with knee osteoarthritis affect treatment response. Clin Interv Aging; 5(1): 199-206.
[30] Nadler S., Weingand K. and Kruse R . (2004). The physiologic basis and clinical applications of cryotherapy and thermotherapy for the pain practitioner. Pain physician; 7(3): 395-9.