Effectiveness of Isometric Exercise on Pain among Patients with Osteoarthritis at Selected Hospitals, Salem

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY, Isometric exercise are a type of strength training in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change during contraction (compared to concentric or eccentric contractions, called dynamic/isotonic movements). Isometrics are done in static positions rather than being dynamic through a range of motion. Isometric or static or setting exercise are the exercise in which the joint and muscle are either worked against an immobile force or held in a static position while opposed by resistance. It is a form of exercise involving static contraction of muscle without any visible movement in the angle of the joint. This is reflected in the name, the term isometric combines Greek the prefixes iso (same) with metric means ( distance), meaning that in these exercises the length of the muscle and the angle of the joint do not change, though contraction strength may varied. Mechanical factors such as joint misalignment a role in the development and progression of other risk factors, such as muscle weakness impaired motor control and diminished physical stress are modifiable with exercises. ( Phillips, 2004) OBJECTIVES, To assess the pain among patients with osteoarthritis in experimental and control group, To evaluate the effectiveness of isometric exercise on pain among patients with osteoarthritis in experimental and control group. To associate the pain among patients with osteoarthritis with their selected demographic variables in experimental and control group. HYPOTHESIS, H1There will be a significant difference in post test score on pain among patients with osteoarthritis in experimental and control group at p0.05 level, H2There will be a significant association between the pain among patients with osteoarthritis in experimental and control group with their selected demographic variables at p 0.05 level. METHODOLOGY, one Quasi Experimental pre test post test control group design was used for the study. Non probability convenience sampling technique was used for the study. FINAL RESULT AND CONCLUSION, During pre test in experimental group, none of the patients have no pain, 2 (6.7 %) patients have mild pain, 10 (33.3 %) patients have moderate pain, 16 (53.3 %) patients have severe pain and 2 (6.7 %) patients have worst possible pain. Whereas in control group none of the patients have no pain and worst possible pain, 2 (6.7 %) patients have mild pain, 10 (33.33 %) patients have moderate pain and 18 (60 %) patients have severe pain, Post test reveals that the mean score for experimental group was 1.30.46 and the mean for control group was 2.70.69, the t value is 9.04 which is significant at pless than0.05 level and hypothesis (H1) is retained. Thus it becomes evident that isometric exercise was effective in reducing pain.