Education and Physiotherapy Treatment on Osteoarthritis for Elderly in the Sukaresmi Hamlet Ciwaru Village

Abstract

An elderly will experience significant changes in health behavior, that is physical
disorders. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease of the joints that is degenerative and
progressive, characterized by degeneration of cartilage and reduced synovial fluid in a joint
which eventually causes joint stiffness, swelling, pain, and mobility limitations.
Counseling was carried out by students of the Physiotherapy Department Transfer
Program, Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta for the elderly in Sukaresmi Hamlet,
Ciwaru Village. The problems found are that the elderly complain of pain around the knee
that is felt in the morning when waking up, doing activities, and working. The solutions
offered are providing knowledge about knee OA through counseling and leaflets
distributed as well as providing physiotherapy treatment for OA with heat therapy
modalities, active exercises, and active-resisted exercises, as well as the use of braces. The
results of counseling activities in the elderly community in Sukaresmi Hamlet, Ciwaru
Village, before the counseling the elderly participants tended to be less knowledgeable
about OA, and after the counseling the participants became more aware of OA. So it can
be concluded that there is an increase in knowledge about the role of physiotherapy in the
prevention and treatment of OA using heat therapy modalities, active exercises, and
active-resisted exercises for the elderly community in Sukaresmi Hamlet, Ciwaru Village.