Effectiveness of Occupation-Based Intervention Compared With Therapeutic Exercise for Older Adults With Shoulder OA.

Effectiveness of an Occupation-Based Intervention Compared With Therapeutic Exercise for Older Adults With Shoulder Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

As a registered and licensed occupational therapist, I completed a six-week evidence based research study to determine the effects of occupation-based intervention and therapeutic exercises versus therapeutic exercises alone.

Importance: There is a need for evidence to support occupation-based intervention (OBI) for older adults with shoulder osteoarthritis (OA).

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of OBI on function in older adults with shoulder OA compared to therapeutic exercise (TE).

Design: Randomized controlled trial. Six-week intervention. 1-week and 4-week follow-up.

Setting: Outpatient clinic. Participants: Ten older adults with diagnosis of shoulder OA via convenience sampling.

Intervention: Participants were seen two times/week for six weeks. The OBI group completed 30 minutes of TE followed by 30 minutes of OBI. The TE group completed 60 minutes of TE.

Outcome and Measures: Functional outcomes were assessed at pre-, 1-week post, and 4-weeks posttreatment using the QuickDASH as the primary outcome measure.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of shoulder osteoarthritis (confirmed by physician examination or radiographic imaging)
• Aged 65 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous shoulder injuries
• Acute pathology
• Previous shoulder surgery
• Current use of pain medication
• Inflammatory arthritis
• Upper extremity neuropathy or myopathy
• Current participation in a home exercise program
• Score of <18 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)