The quality of life - an indicator for assessing the recovery program in patients diagnosed with degenerative disorders

Abstract

Introduction. Osteoarthritis is a chronic joint disease, a progressive non-inflammatory arthropathy-type. Globally, around 1.7 billion people are affected by musculoskeletal and rheumatic diseases, which indicates an increase in the last 20 years of around 45%. Material and method. The objectives of the treatment of patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis were: decreasing the pain, increasing joint mobility, muscle strength, trophic and muscle tone, increasing the quality of life and reintegration into the social and family environment. Demographic data and the functional status were assessed using the VAS scale, the WOMAC scale, the QOL scale. Results and discussions. The pain, the most important symptom in osteoarthritis, was diminished in the patients from the group, the evaluation on the VAS scale, but also on the WOMAC scale has showed the value reduction and the statistical significance of this decrease. The quality of life in the group patients after the application of the complex recovery treatment, especially of the kinetotherapy program. Conclusions. The application of the individualized recovery treatment and adapted to the age group has allowed the improvement of the values of the parameters of pain, rigidity, functional capacity. The recovery of patients aged 55-65 is important to ensure the percentage of professionally active persons, to reduce medical costs, as well as those generated by absenteeism, and the socio-professional reintegration of these patients.