Osteoarthritis (OA) is the selleck chem Imatinib Mesylate most common rheumatic disease. It affects about one fifth of the world population and it is considered one of the most frequent causes of work incapacity after the age of 50. 1 Being characterized by the degeneration of articular cartilage, OA may be asymptomatic or can manifest with mechanical type pain, protokinetic stiffness and may eventually present inexpressive joint inflammatory signals. It affects predominantly adult females between the 4th and 5th decades of life and during menopause, mainly affecting the joints of the hips, knees, hands and spine. 2 , 3 Knee OA can be detected by X-ray in 52 % of the adult population and it is the form most commonly found in obese women. 4 Treatment of OA focuses on clinical, functional and mechanical joints improvement.
The approach must be multidisciplinary and rely on pharmacological and non- pharmacological measures. Therapeutic exercises and sports activities guided by a qualified professional should be prescribed and encouraged. 5 , 6 Physical activity is recommended for patients with knee OA as one of the most effective non-pharmacological therapies and may improve range of motion, stiffness, pain and quality of life. 7 , 8 Among the activities listed, the exercises in the water, in form of hydrotherapy shown to be effective in controlling pain and function such as walking and climbing stairs. 9 in patients with OA, hydrotherapy has been extensively studied and a recent systematic review 10 showed that few studies were high quality or adequate to reveal its effects .
However, moderate improvement can be evidenced in function, pain and quality of life of patients with knee OA through aquatic exercise. Hydrogym is a gym modality practiced in pools that is widely spread as a low impact sports practice that provides muscle strengthening. 11 Offered in clubs and gym academies in the form of guided and supervised by physical educators, water aerobics classes is practiced in large groups and the exercises are standardized. On the other hand, hydrotherapy is prescribed as part of the treatment for patients with OA and, therefore, oriented according to the specific needs and constraints of each individual. The sessions are run by physiotherapist and occur singly or in small groups. Reports showing the effectiveness of aerobics in patients with OA are scarce.
Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether the practice of watergym, on the modalities offered at sports clubs and gym academies can benefit patients with knee OA, on the improvement GSK-3 of pain symptoms and the locomotor function. METHODS The project was approved by the Ethics Research Committee of the Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu-Unesp, all volunteers in the study were previously informed about the experiment and signed informed consent forms. All individuals attending water aerobics classes, and those who were about to start, were invited to attend.