title: The effect of exercise therapy on knee osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common musculoskeletal disease among old individuals which affects ability for sitting on the chair, standing, walking and climbing stairs. Our objective was to investigate the short and long-term effects of the most simple and the least expensive exercise protocols in combination to conventional conservative therapy for knee OA.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was a single blind RCT study with a 12-months follow-up. Totally, 56 patients with knee OA were assigned into 2 random groups. The patients in exercise group received exercise for knee muscles in combination with non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and 10 sessions acupuncture and physiotherapy modalities. Non-exercise group received similar treatments except exercise program. The changes in patients' pain and functional status were evaluated by visual analog scale (VAS), knee and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) questionnaire and functional tests (4 steps, 5 sit up, and 6 min walk test) before and after treatment (1 and 3 months after intervention), and 1 year later at the follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the patients with knee OA in exercise group had significant improvement in pain, disability, walking, stair climbing, and sit up speed after treatment at first and second follow-up when compared with their initial status and when compared with non-exercise group. At third follow up (1 year later) there was significant difference between groups in VAS and in three items of KOOS questionnaire in functional status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non aerobic exercises for muscles around knee can augment the effect of other therapeutic interventions like medical therapy, acupuncture, and modalities for knee OA.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Department of Sports Medicine of Rasoul Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. nejati.p@iums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Parisa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nejati
authors.affiliation: Sports and Exercise Medicine specialist, Department of Sports Medicine, Zanan Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. a.frznmhr@yahoo.com .
authors.forename: Azizeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farzinmehr
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Community Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. m_moradi@iums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Maziar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moradi-Lakeh
keywords: Acupuncture; Functional status; Knee osteoarthritis; Strengthening exercises; Stretching exercises