INTRODUCTION: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative and the symptoms are mechanical pain and periods of inflammatory pain, joint stiffness and muscle weakness. OA has no cure and treatment serves to relieve the signs and symptoms and, when they can, slow its progression. Muscle strengthening is indicated as the treatment. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of NMES and resistance exercise in knee extensor strength gain, pain reduction and recovery of motor function in patients diagnosed with primary osteoarthritis of the knee. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participated 23 patients with primary knee osteoarthritis, according to the clinical and radiological criteria of the American College of Rheumatology. Patients were randomly assigned to a group of resistance exercise (ECR n = 9), a group of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES n = 8) and a control group (n = 6). They underwent characteristic procedures of their group three times per week until 24 sessions. The knee extensor strength pain and function were evaluated. Statistical analyses used was a 3 x 2 MANOVA with repeated measures, P < 0.05. RESULTS: Significant difference (P < 0.05) was found only in intragroup comparisons for knee extensor strength only in the group NMES and for pain on the NMES and ECR groups. CONCLUSION: The strengthening of the knee extensor muscles can help to reduce pain in patients with OA. NMES when applied for 24 sessions, three times a week, according to the protocol used in this study can be an interesting therapy for the improvement of clinical symptoms of knee OA.
Arthrosis; Russian current; Quadriceps
