Massage Therapy in the Relief of Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms in the Elderly; a Systematic Review

Aims: Research has shown that most elderly suffer from knee osteoarthritis. Massage therapy is one of the non-pharmacological methods that, according to studies, can relieve the symptoms caused by knee osteoarthritis in the elderly. Therefore, the present study was conducted to reach a comprehensive view of massage therapy in relieving the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis in the elderly. Information & Methods: This systematic review was conducted in ۲۰۲۲ by searching Magiran, SID, IranMedex, Science Direct, Ovid, Web of Sciences, Scopus, and Pubmed databases with knee osteoarthritis, massage therapy, pain, range of motion, and the elderly keywords alone and in combination during ۲۰۰۸-۲۰۲۲. Findings: Out of ۱۲ selected articles, one Persian article, and ۱۱ English articles were clinical trials. In the studies, different types of massage were used for different periods. Most of the studies showed the effect of massage in reducing pain, joint stiffness caused by knee osteoarthritis, and the physical function of the knee at least four weeks after stopping the massage. However, after the specified period, this effect was reduced. In one study, the results showed that massage therapy had a positive effect on the knee's range of motion, and two studies indicated that massage did not affect the knee's range of motion. Conclusion: Various types of massage has a positive effect on relieving knee pain and knee joint stiffness and improving the functional problems of the elderly with knee osteoarthritis for a long time. Therefore, there is a need for long-term massage or its repetition

کلیدواژه ها:

Massage Therapy ، Elderly ، Osteoarthritis ، Joint Stiffness ، Pain