Effect of 6-week retro or forward walking program on pain, functional disability, quadriceps muscle strength, and performance in individuals with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial (retro-walking trial)

Abstract

Background: Previous studies reported the beneficial effects of walking in individual with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis (OA). The current study aimed to compare the effect of 6-week retro versus forward walking program versus control group on pain, functional disability, quadriceps muscle strength and physical performance in individuals with knee OA. Methods: A three-arm single-blinded, randomized, controlled trial and intention-to-treat analysis was conducted in outpatient physiotherapy department, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. Sixty-eight individuals (mean age, 55.6 years; 38 female) with knee OA participated. The participants in the retro or forward walking group completed 10 min of supervised retro or forward walking training in addition to usual care, 3 days/ week for 6 weeks. The control group received a routine physiotherapy program. This program comprises a combination of closed and open kinematic chain exercises, including straight leg raising, isometric quadriceps, isometric hip adduction, terminal knee extension, semi-squat, and leg press. The primary outcomes were mean pain and knee function score measured by the numerical rating scale and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, respectively. The secondary outcomes were mean score of quadriceps muscle strength and timed up and go test scores. All the outcomes were analyzed at baseline and week 6.

Effectiveness of Health-Led Cognitive Behavioral-Based Group Therapy on Pain, Functional Disability and Psychological Outcomes among Knee Osteoarthritis Patients in Malaysia

“…Functional ability in performing activities of daily living and sports has been associated with various physio-medical conditions such as body alignment, presence of deformity and pain [38][39][40][41]. In the osteoarthritic knee, pain and deformity are among the main contributing factors to the reduction of functional ability [42][43][44].…”

Effect of backward walking training on knee osteoarthritis: protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Since soothed knee inflammation and joint function recovery are key outcome indicators after rehabilitation training, the main outcomes of this study will be reduced pain perception and joint function recovery in patients. Reduced pain perception can be assessed through patient self-report questionnaires, such as the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain 15 ; joint functional recovery is defined as improved mobility and will be assessed through scales and tests, such as the Timed ‘Up and Go’ test 15 or the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. 15 18 …”

“… 11–14 Results of a study recommend the use of BW for KOA rehabilitation and adjuvant therapy, because they found that BW can reduce the pain caused by arthritis, optimise joint function and enhance the strength of the quadriceps muscles. 15 However, it has been reported that while walking rehabilitation therapy can improve cardiovascular health in patients with KOA, it does not make any significant effect on reducing pain symptoms. 16 …”

Effectiveness of backward walking for people affected by stroke

“…Backward walking (BW) is a simple and effective method for adjuvant treatment and rehabilitation. [ 10 ] On 1 hand, BW is helpful for improving proprioception, [ 11 , 12 ] muscle strength, [ 13 ] intralimb coordination [ 14 ] and balance. [ 15 ] On the other hand, it can also assess the severity of impairment of coordination and motor ability, and serve as a predictor of falls in the elderly.…”