Effect of Retro Walking on Pain Functional Disability and Functional Mobility in Patients with Unilateral Knee Osteoarthritis

Background and Objectives: Kneeosteoarthritis (OA) is a painful and degenerative joint disease, the pain, joint stiffness associated with this condition have a dramatic impact on physical mobility and function. The study was done to assess the effectiveness of retro walking in comparison with conventional closed chain exercises in patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis. Methods: All the subjects were clinically diagnosed by an orthopaedician with unilateral knee osteoarthritis were screened after finding their suitability as per the inclusion criteria and were requested to participate in the study. Their informed written consent was taken.40 Subjects were randomly assigned into two groups experimental group and a control group n=20 in each group. The experimental group was followed by retro walking and the control group was followed by conventional closed kinematic chain exercise. Outcome measures: Three outcome measures used were pain with functional disability and functional mobility, using Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index. Other outcome measures pain intensity and knee flexion range of motion which were measured using Numerical Pain Rating Scale and Universal goniometer respectively. Result: After comparing values using unpaired t test, functional disability and mobility showed highly significant difference in experimental group than control group. Changes in pain intensity were equal for both the groups. Knee Range of motion improved significantly in the Experimental group than control group. Conclusion: The study concluded that retro walking was more effective than conventional closed kinematic chain exercises in reducing symptom, improving functional mobility, overcoming physical dysfunction and knee range of motion in unilateral osteoarthritis of knee after 4 weeks of rehabilitation.