Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of physical therapy in improving quality of life and to identify associated factors among patients with knee osteoarthritis at the Department of Pain Management - Physical Therapy - Traditional Medicine, Trung Vuong Hospital.
Methods: A before-after interventional study without a control group was conducted on 110 patients with knee osteoarthritis. The intervention included interferential current therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, and quadriceps strengthening exercises over 4 weeks.
Results: After 4 weeks, the VAS score decreased from 61.72 ± 11.62 mm to 38.00 ± 7.78 mm; the WOMAC score decreased from 53.15 ± 11.82 points to 35.26 ± 8.50 points and the SF-36 scale showed significant improvement across all 8 domains. Regression analysis indicated that age, sex, marital status, economic status, radiographic grade, and treatment history were associated with the degree of SF-36 improvement.
Conclusion: In patients with knee osteoarthritis, physical therapy has shown significant effectiveness in reducing pain according to the VAS and WOMAC scales and enhancing quality of life. Factors such as age, gender, marital status, economic status, and radiographic grading affect the level of improvement in SF-36.