title: [Effects of a motor function improvement program on alleviation of knee osteoarthritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purposes of this study were to develop a new exercise program for the elderly with knee pain, and to evaluate the effects of the program.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants in the present study were 37 community-dwelling elderly people (75 ± 7 years) with knee pain who were living in Tokyo. The participants were instructed to do a walking exercise with weights attached to each ankle together with an exercise to develop their ability to recognize pain objectively, at a weekly meeting, with training on alternate days at home. The measurements of this study were: one-leg standing time, functional reach (FR), timed up and go, 5 m walking time, knee extension strength, health-related quality of life (QOL) questionnaire (SF-36) and the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total JKOM scores decreased significantly (p<0.01). Each subscale of the JKOM decreased significantly (p<0.05). Furthermore, knee extension strength and FR increased significantly (p<0.01). Among the SF-36 subscale scores, physical functioning, role physical, role emotional and mental health improved significantly (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current results suggest that the new program introduced in the present study reduces knee pain and improves the activity of participants.
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology.
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Obuchi
authors.forename: Motonaga
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Narumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shiba
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000628:therapy*