The comparison of the effectiveness of conventional therapeutic exercises and Pilates on pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of two different interventions on pain and disability in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Forty-one individuals (Mean ± SD: Age 52.1 ± 8.9 years, Height 172.8 ± 6.6 cm, Weight 80.2 ± 6.9 kg) with KOA were randomly allocated into Pilates (N = 14), conventional therapeutic exercise (CTE) (N = 14), and control (N = 13) groups. Joint position sense (JPS), functional performance, pain, and disability were examined using Biodex system, aggregate time of four daily activities, and Lequesne Index. One-Way ANOVA, and Post Hoc Scheffe test were administrated to analyze the data (P < 0.05). There was a significant (P < 0.001) difference between the experimental groups in all measured outcomes compared to the control. While, regarding pain and disability, more significant (P = 0.003) improvement was observed in participants following Pilates training compared to CTE. It seemed that Pilates training was more effective than the CTE to improve pain and disability in individuals with KOA.