Relationship of Pain, Social and Emotional functions of patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

ABSTRACT: Arthritis is a highly prevalent condition and can lead to physical impairments and psychological morbidity, including depression, anxiety and feeling of helplessness. Osteoarthritis(OA) is the most common form of Arthritis. There is no study in Iran to explore the forms of relationships among pain and demographic characteristics with social and emotional function of patients with knee OA. Therefore, this study was undertaken . Eighty-one knee Osteoarthritis patients referring to Rheumatology clinic of Tabriz University of medical science participated in this study with convenience sampling method. Data was collected through the social and emotional subscales of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) questionnaire. Data analyzed using SPSS software. The results of linear regression analysis indicate the relationship among social and emotional function, pain and co-morbidity were significant. There are no effective cure for OA. Today, education is an important part of treating chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis. Therefore, it seems that educating pain relief methods and developing social networks for OA patients are helpful.