OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare efficacy of continuous and intermittent cold treatment in acute knee osteoarthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients diagnosed as acute knee osteoarthritis in inpatient clinic were included into study and randomly allocated equally to two groups. For three days; intermittent cold pack treatment was applied to the fourteen patients in the first group and continuous cold pack treatment was applied to the fourteen patients in the second group. Intermittent cold pack treatment was applied for fifteen times as 2 minutes application and 2 minutes taking away with cold pack within totally one hour daily. Continuous cold pack treatment was applied as 10 minutes continuously with cold pack in 3 times daily. All the groups, before the treatment and on the fourth day of the treatment, were evaluated by Visuel Analog Scale (VAS) rest, movement and night pain, Lequesne Index, Western Ontario ve McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and measurements of the area around the knee. RESULTS: In the evaluation after treatment, all parameters except climbing up stairs, showed significant improvements in both of the groups. When we compared the groups there were no difference between both groups for the efficacy of treatment (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: We suggest that ice therapy in forms of cold packs can be effective and beneficial in treatment of acute knee osteoarthritis. Continuous and intermittent application alternatives can be chosen as the efficacy of these two type of application is similar.

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