Category
JFL, Lower Atrium
Description
Clinical Scenario: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is typically more experienced in older populations and conservative treatment strategies favor ultrasound as a treatment option. In the past thermal diathermy was used more frequently as a treatment method before ultrasound was more widely administered. However, there is no conclusive evidence stating which treatment method is more beneficial. Focused Clinical Question: Is diathermy as effective or more effective as ultrasound in reducing symptoms in patients suffering with KOA? Summary of Key Findings: All three studies showed no significant difference in WOMAC scores between subjects who received diathermy compared to those who received ultrasound. One study demonstrated a reduction in KOA symptoms as measured by WOMAC scores for both groups between 12 weeks of treatment and 24 weeks of treatment. All three studies demonstrated a decrease in pain rating and an increase in patient performance for activities of daily living from pre and post scores. Clinical Bottom Line: The evidence from the articles state that diathermy is equally effective as ultrasound when treating patients with symptoms of KOA. Strength of Recommendation: Grade B evidence as one of the articles is a comparative study instead of a randomized control trial. However, with no statistical difference being reported in any articles it indicates that diathermy has similar results as ultrasound for treating patients with KOA. Key Words: Knee osteoarthritis, diathermy, shortwave diathermy, radio frequency diathermy, ultrasound, pulsed ultrasound, WOMAC score, VAS score
The effectiveness of therapeutic diathermy compared to therapeutic ultrasound on decreasing pain associated with knee osteoarthritis: a critically appraised topic
JFL, Lower Atrium
Clinical Scenario: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is typically more experienced in older populations and conservative treatment strategies favor ultrasound as a treatment option. In the past thermal diathermy was used more frequently as a treatment method before ultrasound was more widely administered. However, there is no conclusive evidence stating which treatment method is more beneficial. Focused Clinical Question: Is diathermy as effective or more effective as ultrasound in reducing symptoms in patients suffering with KOA? Summary of Key Findings: All three studies showed no significant difference in WOMAC scores between subjects who received diathermy compared to those who received ultrasound. One study demonstrated a reduction in KOA symptoms as measured by WOMAC scores for both groups between 12 weeks of treatment and 24 weeks of treatment. All three studies demonstrated a decrease in pain rating and an increase in patient performance for activities of daily living from pre and post scores. Clinical Bottom Line: The evidence from the articles state that diathermy is equally effective as ultrasound when treating patients with symptoms of KOA. Strength of Recommendation: Grade B evidence as one of the articles is a comparative study instead of a randomized control trial. However, with no statistical difference being reported in any articles it indicates that diathermy has similar results as ultrasound for treating patients with KOA. Key Words: Knee osteoarthritis, diathermy, shortwave diathermy, radio frequency diathermy, ultrasound, pulsed ultrasound, WOMAC score, VAS score
Comments
Graduate - 3rd Place Award, Theoretical Proposal Posters