COMPARISON OF DRY NEEDLING WITH CONVENTIONAL PHYSIOTHERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS FOR PAIN AND FUNCTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS

Abstract

Background: Knee Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that affects many individuals in their forties or later and can lead towards impairment of physical functions and poor quality of life. Our study aimed to compare the effectiveness of dry needling with conventional physical therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: It was a non-randomized clinical study conducted after ethical approval at Syed Medical Complex and Amin Welfare and Teaching Hospital Sialkot in 6 months. Sample size was calculated to be 58 using WHO calculator. Purposive sampling technique was used to enrol the participants according to predetermined eligibility criteria. They were allocated into two groups. Group A received conventional physical therapy treatment and group B received dry needling for 3 weeks, 2 sessions per week. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scale and Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) were used to measure the outcomes before 1^st treatment session and after last session. Paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test were applied to compare the results, and p?0.05 was considered significant. Results: Pre-treatment WOMAC score in group A was 50.07±11.835 and in group B it was 45.87±12.512. Post-treatment WOMAC score in group A was 38.87±13.731 and in group B it was 24.33±8.926. The scores improved in both groups, but group B showed significant improvement. Conclusion: Both conventional physical therapy and dry needling are effective to manage pain and functional limitation in patients with knee OA. Dry needling proved more effective compare to conventional physical therapy.

Pak J Physiol 2022;18(1):48–52