Is Therapeutic Exercise Clinically Effective in Reducing Pain Intensity in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis? A Systematic Review

Objective: This systematic review aimed to evaluate and summarize the effects of therapeutic exercise clinically in reducing pain intensity in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: A search of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases from the date of inception to December 15, 2019, was conducted. Primary outcome of interest was pain measurement using the visual analog scale. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Results: Sixteen studies were included in this systematic review. These studies reported that therapeutic exercise is clinically effective in reducing pain intensity in patients with knee osteoarthritis. In addition, compared with a short-term and low-intensity therapeutic exercise, there was strong evidence that therapeutic exercise, in combination with pain inhibition interventions, may play a significant role in reducing pain intensity. Conclusion: The systematic review provides evidence for the use of therapeutic exercises, which is high-intensity, long-term, and combined with other interventions, for reducing pain intensity clinically.