Effectiveness of the quadriceps strengthening exercise on pain and functional ability of the women with Osteoarthritis (OA)

A Quasi experimental design was adopted for this study to find out the effectiveness of quadriceps strengthening exercise program on pain and functional ability of women with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Fifty women with OA were selected in which first 25 women were enrolled in the control group and second 25 women were allotted in the exercise group. Assessments were performed at baseline and at 8 weeks. The functional ability was assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) was used to assess the pain level .For the exercise group, quadriceps strengthening exercises were taught and asked the patients to follow the exercise schedule for 8 weeks. The study results show that the pain and functional abilty scores were improved in the exercise group and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). The study concluded that a simple quadriceps strengthening exercise programme can significantly improve self reported knee pain and functional ability among women with Knee osteoarthritis. Keywords: Osteoarthritis, Pain, Functional Ability, Exercise, Quadriceps strengthening, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS)