Background: Knee osteoarthritis is a highly prevalent chronic condition that affects approximately 80% of individuals aged ≥ 65 years. Major problems include pain, dysfunction, reduced quality of life, balance ability, and muscle tone. Objects: This study examined the effects of multidirectional knee-strengthening exercises using elastic bands on knee pain, functional disability, quality of life, balance ability, and rectus femoris (RF) muscle tone in elderly patients aged ≥ 65 years with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: Forty-eight patients aged ≥ 65 years with knee osteoarthritis participated in the study. The participants were assigned randomly to either the experimental group (n = 24) or the control group (n = 24). Both groups performed knee-strengthening exercises, but the experimental group incorporated elastic bands into their exercises. All interventions were conducted 3 times a week for 30 minutes per session over 4 weeks. The effects were assessed before and after the intervention using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Korean version of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (K-WOMAC), Euro Quality of Life 5 Dimension (EQ-5D), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and RF muscle tone. Between-group differences before and after the intervention were analyzed using the independent t-test, and withingroup differences were examined using the paired t-test for pre-post intervention comparisons of the dependent variables. Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in the NRS, K-WOMAC function, KWOMAC total score, EQ-5D, BBS, and RF muscle tone after the intervention (p < 0.05). In addition, the experimental group showed significant improvements in the NRS, K-WOMAC, BBS, and RF muscle tone compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Multidirectional knee-strengthening exercises using elastic bands can be an effective intervention to improve knee pain, functional disability, balance ability, and RF muscle tone in elderly patients aged ≥ 65 years with knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Neck pain is a major health problem in developed countries and has a lifetime prevalence of 50%. Major problems include a reduced cervical range of motion, muscle stiffness, dysfunction, postural changes, and decrease in psychosocial level. Objects: This study aimed to investigate the effects of applying the upper trapezius inhibition dynamic taping to patients with chronic neck pain on their neck pain, functional level, cervical range of motion, psychosocial level, and neck posture. Methods: The study design was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 40 patients with neck pain participated in this study and were randomly assigned to a Dynamic Taping group (n = 20) or Sham Taping group (n = 20). In both groups, basic intervention cervical pain control therapy and shoulder stabilization exercise program were performed. In addition, dynamic taping and sham taping were applied to participants in the Dynamic Taping and Sham Taping groups to inhibit the trapezius muscle, respectively. All interventions were performed three times a week and a total of 12 times for 4 weeks, and the participants’ neck pain, functional impairment level, cervical range of motion, psychosocial level, and neck posture were measured and compared before and after the intervention. Results: Both groups showed significant differences in neck pain, functional level, cervical range of motion, psychosocial level, and neck postural before and after the intervention (p < 0.05). Moreover, there were significant differences between the two groups regarding the functional level and neck posture (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Inhibition dynamic taping of the upper trapezius muscle suppression is an effective method with clinical significance in reducing pain in individuals with chronic neck pain and improving the functional level, cervical range of motion, psychosocial level, and neck posture.