Physical therapy of patients with coxarthrosis

Abstract

In the general structure of joint diseases in terms of incidence, coxarthrosis ranks second after gonarthrosis and first in terms of the degree of disability. The development of this disease is accompanied by a persistent, severe pain syndrome, as well as functional disorders such as lameness, limited mobility, and then premature disability of patients. The main factors for the occurrence of coxarthrosis are congenital, but there are also internal factors that lead to a decrease in the resistance of the cartilage itself when performing standard loads (walking). To prevent exacerbations during the period of remission of coxarthrosis, physiotherapy exercises are prescribed to prevent exacerbations. The authors developed an optimal exercise therapy scheme for patients with coxarthrosis and compared the effectiveness of the therapy in patients treated with traditional physical therapy and an original set of physical exercises. This comparison showed that the values obtained when testing on a visual analogue scale (assessment of pain intensity) in all two analyzed samples correspond to the presence of severe pain in patients. As a result of the treatment, the indicator significantly (p<0.05) decreased by 58.6% in the experimental group and by 16.9% in the control group. The values of pain assessment according to the Lequesne index, noted by patients, also decreased in all two groups ‒ by 11.9% in the control group (p<0.05), by 46.3% in the experimental group (р<0.05). At the same time, according to the Harris test, the assessment of pain intensity in patients after treatment decreased approximately the same as in the control group (by 60.9%, p<0.05). The results of the study showed the best results in reducing pain, eliminating stiffness of movements and increasing the functionality of the musculoskeletal system.

Keywords: coxarthrosis, physical therapy, joints, physiotherapy.