Despite inconclusive evidence regarding the efficacy of physiotherapy for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip, this strategy is still frequently recommended in clinical guidelines. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 102 patients with painful (≥40 mm on a 0–100 mm visual analogue scale [VAS]), radiographically confirmed hip OA assessing the effect of 10 physiotherapy sessions over 12 weeks on pain and function raises further doubts about the value of this intervention for these patients. When comparing sham treatment (n = 53) with active treatment (n = 49) at 13 and 36 weeks, no statistically significant differences were found in pain levels, assessed on a 100 mm VAS, or in function scores, assessed using the WOMAC index.
References
Bennell, K. L. et al. Effect of physical therapy on pain and function in patients with hip osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA 10.1001/jama.2014.4591
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Physical therapy does not improve hip OA. Nat Rev Rheumatol 10, 382 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2014.92
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2014.92