ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To assess patient satisfaction with exercise for knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: A convenience sample of 27 patients recruited to a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing open kinetic chain and closed kinetic chain exercises for knee OA were reassessed at nine months post-randomization. Clinical outcomes included self-report and physical performance measures of function and pain severity. Patients also completed the Physiotherapy Outpatient Survey (POPS), which is a multi-dimensional measure of patient satisfaction with physiotherapy. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in satisfaction between the two intervention groups. Overall mean satisfaction for the entire cohort was 4.07 of a maximum score of 5 (standard deviation (SD) = 0.52). Lower levels of satisfaction with outcome (mean = 3.56, SD = 0.8) were reported compared with other domains of expectations, communication, organization and the therapist (mean = 3.79-4.49; SDs = 0.42-0.92). Both intervention groups improved from baseline on clinical outcomes of pain, self-report function and walking distance, with no significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of satisfaction were reported in this subsample of knee OA patients participating in an RCT evaluating the effects of different exercise approaches for knee OA. Satisfaction varied depending on the satisfaction domain, with lower satisfaction with outcome compared with other aspects of care. The POPS questionnaire can be used to measure the multi-dimensional aspects of satisfaction with physiotherapy.
Subject(s)
Exercise Therapy/methods , Osteoarthritis, Knee/rehabilitation , Patient Satisfaction , Physical Therapy Modalities , Aged , Exercise Test/statistics & numerical data , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Osteoarthritis, Knee/complications , Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology , Outpatients , Pain/etiology , Pain/physiopathology , Pain Management , Quality of Life , Recovery of Function , Reproducibility of Results , Self-Examination/statistics & numerical data , WalkingABSTRACT
The reported non-analgesic effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) include alterations to the local circulation; however, research in this area has produced equivocal findings. In the present study, the effect of low- (4 Hz) and high-frequency (110 Hz) TENS on forearm skin blood perfusion was assessed using laser Doppler flowmetry. The effect on skin temperature was also assessed using a skin thermistor. Thirty healthy human volunteers were recruited and randomly assigned to a control or one of the two treatment groups. TENS was applied to the skin overlying the median nerve under double-blind conditions for 15 min. Blood flow and skin temperature readings were recorded pre-TENS, during TENS application and continued for 15 min post-TENS application. Analysis of results showed significant increases in blood perfusion during the treatment period in the low-frequency group when compared to the other two groups (P = 0.0106; ANOVA). No significant changes in skin temperature were observed. The results of this study demonstrate that low-frequency TENS produces a local increase in cutaneous blood flow.
