Comparison of the Effect of Six Weeks of Therapeutic Exercises in Water and on Dry Land on Balance, Strength and Improvement in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the effects of 6 weeks of training in water and on land on balance and muscle strength in patients with knee osteoarthritis. To conduct this study, 24 women over the age of 45 with knee osteoarthritis were purposively selected to perform hydrotherapy exercises (n=13) and dry exercises (n=11). Randomly assigned to one group. After selecting subjects, anthropometric indicators such as height and weight were assessed using tape measures and scales Also, static and dynamic balance were determined with the help of Sharpand Romberk tests and timed standing and moving tests, respectively.. Both hydrotherapy and dry exercise groups then exercised 18 training sessions (6 weeks and 3 sessions per week) were performed. After completing the 18 sessions, participants were divided into two groups and reassessed. In the inferential statistics section, the Shapiro-Wilk test was used to check the normality of the data distribution, and the Lune test was used to check the homogeneity of the data variance at a significance level of P≥0.05. Correlation t-tests and analysis of covariance were also used to identify differences between and within group means. Between-group comparisons showed that there was no significant difference between the effects of the two hydrotherapy exercise programs and dryland exercise (P<0.05). The results of this study also showed that hydrotherapy exercise and dry exercise significantly improved static and dynamic balance with eyes open (P=0.001, P=0.001) and with eyes closed (P=0.001, P=0.002). has been shown to have an impact. (P=0.001, P=0.001), muscle strength (P=0.001, P=0.001). In general, the results of this study show that training on land and in the water is effective in improving static and dynamic balance, and improving muscle strength. This shows the importance of using these two exercise programs in patients with knee osteoarthritis.