Effect of multimodal interventions on pain and activities of daily living among the elderly with osteoarthritis

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of multimodal interventions on pain and activities of daily living among the elderly with knee osteoarthritis attending Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation OPD at General Hospital Alappuzha,Kerala. Objectives were to assess the level of joint pain in elderly with knee osteoarthritis, to assess the ability of elderly to perform activities of daily living, to evaluate the effect of multimodal interventions on pain and activities of daily living of elderly with knee osteoarthritis and to find out association between multimodal interventions and analgesic usage. The investigator adopted quantitative experimental approach for the study and research design was quasi experimental non equivalent control group design. The sample size was 74 elderly patients diagnosed as knee osteoarthritis selected using purposive sampling technique. A structured interview schedule was used to assess the socio personal and clinical data; pain and activities of daily living were assessed by numerical pain rating scale and Katz index respectively. Routine care was given to control group, while the experimental group underwent multimodal interventions which included educational session, isometric exercises and moist heat application for three weeks along with routine care. After three weeks, post-test was done in both groups. The findings revealed that there was a significant reduction in pain (P<0.001), improvement in activities of daily living (P<0.001) and also reduction in frequency of analgesic intake (p< 0.001) among elderly with knee osteoarthritis.