Publisher's Synopsis
ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of KKMT 3D and Mulligan mobilization in the management of non-specific chronic knee pain. The research was carried out in the National Center of Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities for a period of three weeks where ten (10) subjects with non-specific chronic knee pain were selected for the study which were randomly divided into two groups of five (5) each. One group received KKMT 3D mobilization and the other group received Mulligan mobilization (MWM). Pain was assessed using visual analogue scale before and after each session, same for the range of motion using the goniometer. The level of disability was assessed at the first session and at the end of the treatment using the womac scale. The result of this study showed that through their mean difference KKMT (1.60) had more immediate effect on knee pain than Mulligan (1.00), but both technique were not statistically significant (p=0.36 and p=0.56 respectively). As far as the immediate effect on knee ROM was evaluate, the researcher found that both techniques were effective (KKMT mean difference 2.40, Mulligan mean difference 5.20) but Mulligan was more effective. It was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The short term effect of both KKMT (p=0.02) and Mulligan (p=0.01) on knee pain was statistically significant and Mulligan had more short term effect (5.60) than KKMT (5.00) on knee pain; in the other hands the short term effect of KKMT with a p-value p=0.13 and Mulligan with p=0.15 shown that both techniques were not statistically significant (p>0.05) but KKMT had more short term effect with a mean difference of 7.20 on knee range of motion than Mulligan (6.00). Another findings showed that KKMT 3D mobilization had significant effect on level of disability (p=0.01) compared to that of Mulligan (p=0.25) which was not statistically significant. The KKMT group took lesser sessions to bring the pain to the minimal level (0.00) with the mean of 4.4 than the Mulligan group that took more sessions to bring the pain to the minimal level (0.20) with the mean of 6.6. As a whole, between the two treatments techniques, KKMT 3D mobilization was more effective than Mulligan mobilization (MWM); KKMT 3D mobilization is therefore recommended over Mulligan Mobilization in the management of non-specific chronic knee pain. Key words: Non-specific chronic pain, Pain, Range of motion, Level of disability, immediate effect, short term effect, Mulligan mobilization, MWM, KKMT 3D mobilization.
