Strain Counterstrain and Muscle Energy Technique in Patients of Knee Osteoarthritis

Comparative Effects of Strain Counterstrain and Muscle Energy Technique on Pain, Range of Motion, and Functional Disability in Patients of Knee Osteoarthritis

This study aimed to evaluate the comparative effects of Strain Counterstrain (SCS) and Muscle Energy Technique (MET) on pain, range of motion (ROM), and functional disability in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Conducted as a single-blinded randomized control trial at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital, 76 participants were divided into two groups, receiving either SCS or MET alongside routine physical therapy. Outcome measures included pain intensity, ROM, and functional disability via KOOS.

This randomized controlled trial investigated the comparative efficacy of Strain Counterstrain (SCS) and Muscle Energy Technique (MET) in managing knee osteoarthritis (KOA) symptoms. A total of 76 patients meeting inclusion criteria were randomly assigned into two equal groups. Group A received SCS along with routine physical therapy, and Group B received MET with the same physiotherapy protocol. The interventions were carried out five days a week for eight weeks, and outcomes were measured at baseline, four weeks, and eight weeks. Pain was assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), range of motion (ROM) via goniometry, and functional disability using the KOOS index.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age between 45 to 65 years (Pandiselvi, 2019).
• Patients who were willing and able to comply with the study protocol and follow-up procedures (Arslan et al., 2022).
• Patients having Grade 2 knee OA Kellgren and Lawrence system. In this system, grade 2 signifies minimal severity of OA (Ratzlaff et al., 2018).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Congenital deformities (Deng et al., 2021).
• Having any tumor or related pathology such as cancer (Arslan et al., 2022).
• Patients having any previous knee surgery (Khan et al., 2023).
• Patients with isolated/predominantly patellofemoral symptomatic osteoarthritis, inflammatory diseases, joint effusion, or excessive knee deformity (Deng et al., 2021).