Clinical Efficiency of Herbal Knee Poultice and Knee Massage Programs on the Quality of Life in Patients with Osteoarthritis Knee

Abstract

The purposes of this randomized controlled clinical trial study were to evaluate the effects of a treatment which combines various knee massage programs and the use of a herbal knee poultice. The effects were measured on pain, stiffness, patient's capacity of using knee joint, and level in terms of quality of life of patients suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) in a knee. Various combinations of treatments were experimented so to determine best frequency and proper poultice. In this study, 45 patients, aged 45 years old and over, came to the Thai traditional medicine clinic of Songkhla Hospital, being diagnosed by physician with osteoarthritis knee (called Lom Jab Pong Haeng Khao in Thai traditional medicine). They were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, the experimental group number 1, and the experimental group number 2 (15 subjects in each group). Data were collected using a patient personal information form, a Thai Western Ontario and McMaster University (WOMAC) form (modified), and the SF-36 form. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis Test, One-way ANOVA Test, Wilcoxon Matched–Pair Signed-Rank Test and Repeated-Measure ANOVA. The results were as follows.

1. The difference in mean scores after receiving the OA knee treatment programs of all groups could reduce knee pain and stiffness, as well as improve the use of the knee joint with statistical significance (p-value < 0.05). Moreover, in the control group, quality of life in the physical function dimension, the body pain dimension and the general health dimension was significantly increased  (p-value < 0.05). In the treatment group number 2, the physical function dimension, the general health dimension and the role-emotional dimension were significantly increased (p-value < .05). The treatment group number 1 showed no betterment in quality of life (p-value > .05)

2. The frequency of treatment, compared to before the treatment, was statistically significantly different in terms of pain reduction (p-value < .05). The control group showed results in 14 days, the experimental group number 1 in 21 days, and finally the experimental group number 2 in 7 days. Knee joint stiffness in all three groups improved in 28 days. In both the control group and the experimental group number 2, the knee joint function increased in 14 days, while in the experimental group number 1, it took 28 days.

The experimental group number 2 program was the most effective treatment method for rapid pain reduction, which was most beneficial to patients with osteoarthritis in this study.