Correlation between medication and exercises with partial vascular occlusion associated or not with shock wave therapy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (OAJ) is a degenerative, chronic and irreversible condition of the articular cartilage, which is associated to injuries and inflammations in the other periarticular structures to the knee, being capable of causing pain, physical, psychosocial, functional impairments and impaired quality of life of affected people. The cause is multifactorial, involving old age, trauma, biomechanical changes, genetic, immunological, endocrine, biomechanical and osteometabolic factors. Its identification is made by clinical and imaging investigation and the treatment is multiprofessional. The aim of this study was to correlate the therapeutic results of the use of medication, medication associated with exercises with partial vascular occlusion and medication associated with exercises with partial vascular occlusion and Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (TOCE) in the treatment of individuals with OAJ. Through the study, it can be concluded that the isolated use of medication, in the treatment of OAJ, promotes only analgesia, and that its association with low resistance exercises with partial vascular occlusion and use of TOCE, promote analgesia, weight gain quadriceps strength, improved functionality and quality of life for individuals with OAJ, without, however, changing muscle trophism. The best results were seen in individuals with OAJ who received TOCE.