Brief Summary:
This single-blind, randomized controlled trial will investigate the efficacy of bee venom phonophoresis in managing pain and improving mobility in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Thirty adults aged 40-75 years with clinically and radiographically confirmed knee osteoarthritis will be randomly assigned to receive either bee venom phonophoresis or placebo phonophoresis with a neutral gel. Ultrasound parameters will be standardized for all participants.
Primary outcomes are pain reduction, measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and functional mobility, assessed by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. The secondary outcome is walking endurance, measured by the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT). Assessments will be conducted at baseline and post-intervention.
The study is designed to determine whether bee venom phonophoresis offers greater clinical benefit compared to placebo phonophoresis, potentially providing a non-invasive, adjunctive treatment option for knee osteoarthritis. Ethical approval has been obtained from the Faculty of Physical Therapy, Sinai University, and all participants will provide written informed consent.
Age 40-75 years
Clinically and radiographically confirmed knee osteoarthritis
Moderate to severe pain (VAS ≥ 4)
Willingness to provide informed consent
Allergy to bee products or topical agents used in the study
Knee surgery or trauma in the past year
Intra-articular injection in the past 6 months
Other musculoskeletal or systemic conditions affecting the knees (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis)