Online approach works in treating knee osteoarthritis

Treating chronic knee osteoarthritis is set to go “virtual” after new research found that exercise delivered by a physiotherapist via Skype, combined with an automated online pain-coping program, has substantial benefits for improving pain, function and quality of life.

The results suggest such online programs could become a widespread, and ultimately cheaper, treatment for a host of chronic conditions that require exercise and pain control to manage them.

But lead researcher Professor Kim Bennell, of the University of Melbourne says there is a lack of funding support for such online delivery, noting that Medicare in Australia doesn’t cover online physiotherapy treatment for osteoarthritis.

“We need to be looking at how we can deliver effective treatments like these in a more accessible and cost effective way, such as online, and the health care funding bodies need to be looking at how such different delivery methods can be made available to patients and funded,” says Professor Bennell, the Director of the Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine in the School of Health Sciences.