Effective of Relieve Knee Pain used Thai Royal Massage Combined with Hot-Compressed Herbal Ball and Herbal Knee Poultice in Knee Pain Patients or Osteoarthritis, Si Prachan District, Suphanburi Province

Abstract

           Knee pain is more common in people aged 40 and over, especially in the age group of over 75, and the rate is increasing. Methods of treatment with Thai traditional and alternative medicine can be used to treat knee pain. This single-group quasi-experimental study measuring the effects of before and after, aimed to study the effectiveness of treating knee pain by using Thai royal massage therapy combined with hot-compressed herbal balls and herbal knee poultice in knee pain or osteoarthritis patients. The sample group consisted of 30 knee pain sufferers who were selected by using purposive sampling method. The subjects were received a 30-minute Thai royal massage, 30 minutes of herbal hot compress on the knee joints and under the fold of the knee, and 30 minutes of applying herbal knee poultice for 3 consecutive days. After completing 3 days of treatment, the knee was applied with herbal knee poultice once a day for 7 consecutive days. The research instruments used for data collection were a patient pain cycle questionnaire and a Thai version questionnaire of Modified WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster University) with accuracy (IOC) between 0.67-1.00, used to assess the symptoms of patients with knee pain or osteoarthritis. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and paired t-test statistics.

            The results of the study after the subjects were received Thai royal massage therapy combined with herbal hot compress and knee poultice after the experiment found that:

1. The pain cycle duration within 2 weeks was at 36.67%, within 1 month at 36.67%, and with no recurrence at 26.66%.
2. The pain level decreased with statistical significance at the .05 level (p<.05).
3. The degree of stiffness or joint stiffness decreased with statistical significance at the .05 level (p<.05).
4. The level of the body's functional ability increased with statistical significance at the .05 level (p<.05).

            It could be concluded that the treatment using Thai royal massage therapy combined with hot-compressed herbal balls and knee poultice was an alternative therapy for healing and relieving knee pain in patients with knee pain or osteoarthritis. Therefore, alternative medicine should be used to treat knee pain or osteoarthritis people.