Physical Therapy in Elderly Suffering from Degenerative Diseases

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Rheumatology
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent rheumatic disease, categorized under degenerative rheumatic diseases.
• Degenerative diseases significantly impact the musculoskeletal and nervous systems in the elderly population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate physical therapy modalities utilized for elderly individuals diagnosed with degenerative diseases.
• To assess the effectiveness of these therapies in managing conditions like knee osteoarthritis.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective-prospective, descriptive study involving 25 patients at a Gerontology Center.
• Data collection included questionnaires, visual-analog pain scales, and patient records.
• Physical therapy interventions comprised kinetic therapy, manual massage, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

Main Results:

• Knee osteoarthritis was the most common diagnosis (29%), predominantly affecting females.
• Kinetic therapy was administered to all patients; manual massage and TENS were used in 60% of cases.
• Patient-reported health status varied, with 50% rating their health as poor and 32% as good.

Conclusions:

• This pilot study underscores the necessity for extended research with larger sample sizes.
• Improving health record quality and implementing continuous functional status evaluation are recommended.
• Stricter control over physical therapy interventions is needed to enhance elderly patients' quality of life.