Effects of Graded Motor Imagery in Individuals With Foot/Ankle Osteoarthritis

Effectiveness of Graded Motor Imagery Training in Individuals With Foot/Ankle Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of our study is to evaluate the effects of graded motor imagery training applied in addition to a structured exercise program in individuals with foot and/or ankle osteoarthritis.

The study population will consist of twenty-four individuals diagnosed with foot/ankle osteoarthritis who applied to the Orthopedics and Traumatology Department of Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University Education and Research Hospital.

Individuals who volunteer to participate in the study will be invited to participate through face-to-face interviews. The inclusion and exclusion criteria are as follows:

Inclusion criteria:

• Being 18 years of age or older
• Having a diagnosis of foot/ankle osteoarthritis confirmed by a specialist physician through clinical and/or radiological examination
• Experiencing pain in the ankle joint most days for at least three months
• Agreeing to participate in randomly assigned treatment and follow-up measurements
• Having a sufficient level of Turkish language comprehension
• Having a Standardized Mini Mental Test score of at least 24 points

Exclusion criteria:

• Previous arthrodesis or joint replacement surgery on the affected ankle
• Physical therapy for ankle osteoarthritis within the last three months
• Vision or hearing problems that would affect compliance with treatment.
• Presence of a neuromuscular disease
• History of intra-articular ankle injections within the last 3 months
• Initiation of a new disease-specific pharmacological treatment during the study period During the study period, participants will receive one of the physical therapy programs. One group will only participate in the structured exercise program, while the other group will receive graded motor imagery training in addition to the exercise program.Both treatment groups will receive a total of 12 treatment sessions over 6 weeks.

The results of this study may help improve physiotherapy programs for individuals with similar health conditions.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Be 18 years of age or older,
• Have a diagnosis of foot and/or ankle osteoarthritis confirmed by a specialist physician through clinical and/or radiological examination
• Experience pain in the ankle joint most days for at least three months
• Agree to participate in randomly assigned treatment and follow-up measurements
• Have sufficient understanding of the Turkish language
• Have a Standardized Mini Mental Test score of at least 24 points

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous arthrodesis or joint replacement surgery on the affected ankle,
• Having received physical therapy for ankle osteoarthritis within the last three months
• Presence of vision or hearing problems that may affect compliance with treatment.
• Presence of a neuromuscular disease
• History of intra-articular ankle injections within the last 3 months
• Initiation of a new disease-specific pharmacological treatment during the study period