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The Use Of Conventional And Complementary

Rheumatology 2004;43:381–384 doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keh045
Advance Access publication 17 November 2003
The use of conventional and complementary
treatments for knee osteoarthritis in the community
K. M. Jordan, S. Sawyer, P. Coakley, H. E. Smith1, C. Cooper and
N. K. Arden
Objectives. The aim of the survey was to assess the prevalence of clinically diagnosed knee osteoarthritis (OA) in two general
practice populations in the Wessex region (practice A: a deprived urban population and practice B: an affluent rural population)
and to assess both conventional and complementary therapy use in these two populations.
Methods. All patients over 55 yr with a clinical diagnosis of knee OA, as identified from the practice computerized records,
were sent a questionnaire about their knee pain and their use of conventional and complementary treatments.
Results. A total of 4566 patients over 55 yr were registered in the two practices. Of these, 828 (18.13%) had a clinical diagnosis
of knee OA and 240 (29%) patients were asymptomatic at the time of survey. Physiotherapy was under-utilized with only
13.1% of patients having received either hospital- or GP-based physiotherapy. There was a high prevalence of non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, being significantly more in the affluent population (P