Cryotherapy Associated With Exercise in Pain Control and Physical Function in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis

A visual analog scale (VAS) will be applied to measure the pain before and 1 day after the intervention. VAS is a well recognized tool to measure the intensity of pain that visually represents the intensity of pain that the individual believes to present. The scale will be positioned in front of the individual and will have a range of 0 to 10 cm, with 0 being the complete absence of pain and 10, the maximum intensity of pain reported by the individual.

All volunteers will answer to the questionnaire before and 1 day after the intervention. WOMAC is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess the problems experienced by people with OA of the lower limb. The score for the items is expressed through a Likert scale, where the rating is calculated as: none = 0, low = 25 = 50 moderate, severe = 75 and very severe = 100. The maximum score on each section is expressed as a percentage, with higher scores indicating greater pain, stiffness and physical dysfunction. Each point corresponds to a particular dimension (pain, stiffness and physical function). This questionnaire has been translated and validated for the Portuguese language from Brazil.

SF-36 is a set of generic, coherent, and easily administered quality-of-life measures.

Fast paced walking test that is timed by a distance of 4X10 meters, totaling 40 meters. It is used as a direct measure to correlate the ability to walk fast, short distances. Administered at a distance of 10 meters (demarcated by tapes), a cone is placed 2 meters before the start and 2 meters after the end of each marking. The participant is instructed to walk the 10 meters (from the start marking), turn around in the cone and walk another 10 meters, successively until completing the distance of 40 meters. Time is considered only between the tracks (start and end). The final score is calculated based on the speed of the participant performs the procedure and compared with normative values of healthy adults.

Test where the participant should go up and down a stair in the shortest possible time. The participant will be positioned in front of the stair, and at the therapeut sign must climb the indicated steps (12 steps), and go down, being able to use the handrail as a security instrument. The height of each stair step will be 20 cm, with a handrail, in an illuminated environment, free of traffic and external distractions. A pre-test is performed to identify the need for safety measures. The final score is calculated based on the time the participant performs the procedure and compared with the normative values available for the test

All volunteers performed the test before and 1 day after the intervention. The 30 seconds chair stand test is administered using an armless chair, with seat height of about 43cm from the ground. The chair has a rubber for not slipping under its support and is placed against a wall to avoid oscillations. The participant sits in the middle of the chair with the back straight, feet apart, aligned with the shoulder width apart and flat on the floor at an angle slightly behind the knee line. Moreover, to help maintain balance, one foot may be slightly placed ahead of the other and arms crossed against the chest. The test consists of the greatest number of times from a sitting position to a standing over a period of 30 seconds. Thus, it is possible to evaluate a wide range of skill levels with scores ranging from 0, for those who cannot complete a single repetition and values greater than 20 reps for the well prepared individuals.