Impact of Proprioceptive Exercises on Pain, Balance, and Fall Risk in the Elderly With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background and objective:
Osteoarthritis (OA), especially in the hips and knees, significantly impairs function and independence in older adults. Proprioceptive exercises have emerged as a beneficial intervention for managing knee OA. These exercises, which enhance proprioceptive feedback from mechanoreceptors in joints, muscles, tendons, and skin, are crucial for improving motor control and balance and have shown effectiveness in reducing symptoms despite limited evidence. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of proprioceptive exercises compared to conventional exercises in managing pain, balance, and fall risk among the elderly with knee OA.

Methods:
A randomized, double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 54 elderly with knee OA. Participants were randomly assigned to either a proprioceptive exercise group (n=27) or a conventional exercise group (n=27). Outcome measures included pain (visual analog scale), balance (Berg balance scale), and fall risk (falls efficacy scale - international), which were assessed at three time points: baseline, six weeks, and eight weeks post-intervention.

Results:
Both groups showed improvements in pain, balance, and fall risk (p<0.005). However, the proprioceptive exercise group exhibited significantly greater improvements in all outcome measures compared to the conventional exercise group (p<0.005).

Conclusions:
Proprioceptive exercises demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing pain, enhancing balance, and mitigating fall risk in the elderly with knee OA. These findings suggest that proprioceptive exercises should be considered as a valuable component of comprehensive rehabilitation programs for this population.

Keywords: balance; elderly; knee osteoarthritis; pain; proprioceptive exercises; risk of falling.

PMID: 39497862 PMCID: PMC11533887 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.70885