SIX WEEKS OF COMBINED STATIONARY CYCLING AND THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS PRE POST CHANGES IN PAIN, PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE

Abstract

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common musculoskeletal condition among older adults and is associated with persistent pain, functional limitations, and reduced knee-related quality of life. Exercise-based rehabilitation is a key component of conservative management, although further evaluation of combined exercise approaches in clinical settings is warranted. Objective: To evaluate changes in pain, symptoms, physical function, and knee-related quality of life following a six week supervised rehabilitation program combining stationary cycling and therapeutic exercises in older adults with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: A prospective quasi-experimental, single-group pre–post study was conducted among 54 adults aged 50 70 years with Grade I or II knee osteoarthritis recruited from two physiotherapy settings in Islamabad, Pakistan. Participants completed a supervised rehabilitation program consisting of stationary cycling and therapeutic exercises three times per week for six weeks. Outcomes were assessed before and after the intervention using the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), which evaluates pain, symptoms, activities of daily living (ADL), sport and recreation function, and knee-related quality of life. Results: All 54 enrolled participants completed the intervention and post-intervention assessment, with no loss to follow-up. Improvements were reported across all five KOOS domains. Based on the updated descriptive results, pain scores increased from 52.80 to 73.60, symptoms from 51.20 to 68.50, ADL from 50.60 to 71.10, sport and recreation function from 30.70 to 48.80, and knee-related quality of life from 38.20 to 64.70. The greatest absolute improvement in these descriptive scores was reported for knee-related quality of life. The statistical analysis also reported significant pre–post improvements across all five domains (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that a six-week supervised program combining stationary cycling and therapeutic exercises may improve patient-reported pain, symptoms, physical function, and knee-related quality of life in older adults with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis. Controlled studies with verified statistical analyses and longer follow-up are needed to confirm the magnitude and sustainability of these changes.