Clinical Question Does the intens...

Clinical Question

Does the intensity of therapeutic exercise for osteoarthritis matter?

Evidence-Based Answer

Although land-based exercise improves physical function, there is no evidence that high-intensity cycling proffers benefits over low-intensity cycling for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee

Practice Pointers

An earlier Cochrane review (1) (last updated in 2001) of 17 studies with 2562 participants lay the foundation of that group and individual exercise were effective in reducing pain (standardized mean difference [SMD] 039; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 030 to 047) and improving function (SMD 031; 95 percent CI, 023 to 039)

Brosseau and colleagues reviewed the literature to determine whether the intensity of exercise had an result on pain reduction. The authors identified single three studies in which adults with osteoarthritis who were assigned to different intensities of exercise were followed. single in kind study did not report statistical data, and individual had a dropout rate of more than 20 percent leaving and nothing else a single, randomized, moderate-quality meditation (2) for review.

Adults with osteoarthritis of the knee were assigned to low-intensity (40 percent of heart rate reserve) or high-intensity (70 percent of heart rate reserve) stationary cycling. They had three one-hour sessions by week for 10 weeks. At the conclusion of the study period, improvement in pain and functional capacity was similar between the groups

Brosseau L et al. Intensity of exercise for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2003;3:CD004259

REFERENCES

(1) Fransen M McConnell s Bell M. Exercise for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2003;3:CD004286

(2) Mangione KK McCully K Gloviak A, Lefebvre I, Hofmann M Craik R The general intents of high-intensity and low-intensity period ergometry in older adults with knee osteoarthritis. J Gerontol A Biol Sci M Sci 1999;54:M184-90

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