In a randomized trial (n = 156), patients with clinical and radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) who underwent physical therapy had less pain, stiffness and functional disability than patients who received an intra-articular glucocorticoid injection, as measured by total WOMAC score at 1 year (37.0 vs 55.8 points; mean between-group difference 18.8 points; 95% CI 5.0–32.6). Similar differences were seen in the secondary outcomes, which included the results of two functional tasks and the Global Rating of Change scale score, all assessed at 1 year.
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Deyle, G. D. et al. Physical therapy versus glucocorticoid injection for osteoarthritis of the knee. N. Engl. J. Med. 382, 1420–1429 (2020)
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Onuora, S. Physical therapy better than steroids for knee OA. Nat Rev Rheumatol 16, 296 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-020-0433-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-020-0433-1
