Effect of Exergaming Versus Standard Care Physiotherapy on Pain, Range of Motion and Function in Subjects with Knee Osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Knee Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative condition in the elderly, causing pain, stiffness, and functional limitations. Standard physiotherapy is widely used to manage symptoms and improve mobility. Exergaming, an interactive exercise-based approach, is an emerging rehabilitation method with limited use in orthopedics. This study aimed to compare the effects of exergaming and standard care physiotherapy on pain, knee range of motion, and functional outcomes. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study design. A total of 150 participants with clinically diagnosed knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated into two groups. Group A (n=75) received exergaming intervention, while Group B (n=75) underwent standard care physiotherapy. Both groups received treatment for six weeks. Outcome measures were assessed pre- and post-intervention using the VAS for pain, Universal Goniometer for knee flexion range of motion, and WOMAC for functional status. RESULTS: Baseline comparisons showed no significant differences between groups (p>0.05). Following six weeks of intervention, both groups demonstrated improvement; however, Group A showed significantly greater post-test improvements. Post-test VAS scores were lower in Group A (2.84 ± 0.75) compared to Group B (3.98 ± 0.77) (p=0.001). WOMAC scores improved more in Group A (19.18 ± 2.70) than in Group B (29.74 ± 2.56) (p=0.0001). Knee flexion range of motion was significantly higher in Group A (130.06 ± 3.35) compared to Group B (119.64 ± 3.44) (p=0.0001). CONCLUSION: After Six weeks of training both the groups showed significant improvement. Exergaming Group was found to be more effective when compared to Standard Care Physiotherapy. Keywords: exergaming, standard care physiotherapy, virtual reality, knee osteoarthritis, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, WOMAC, VAS.