A pilot feasibility study for immediate relief of referred knee pain by hip traction in hip osteoarthritis

Abstract

It is generally accepted that osteoarthritis of the hip is a common cause of pain and disability. In clinical practice, a variety of conservative and surgical methods are available for patients with hip osteoarthritis. Nonsurgical interventions are recommended as the first-line treatment for hip osteoarthritis [1]. As one of the conservative therapies used in nonsurgical interventions, physical therapy, including hip traction and stretching, has been shown to reduce pain and improve hip function in patients with hip osteoarthritis [2]. Pain originating from the hip joint is distributed not only in the groin area but also in the buttocks, anterior thighs, and knees [3, 4]. Knee pain arising from the hip joint is one of the characteristics of referred pain in hip osteoarthritis. However, the effects of physical therapy on referred pain have not been well documented. We developed an original hip traction technique using a lumbar traction machine. Of note, patients treated with this method experienced immediate relief of referred knee pain. This study describes the results of immediate relief of referred knee pain because using hip traction.