Comparison of the Effects of Basic Body Awareness Therapy in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis

Plain-language summary

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, degenerative joint disease associated with aging and is recognized by the World Health Organization as a primary health condition. It is one of the leading causes of chronic disability worldwide. Structural changes occurring at the bone and joint margins in OA lead to a variety of symptoms and clinical findings associated with the deterioration of articular cartilage integrity. Clinical guidelines recommend a combination of exercise therapy tailored to individual needs, weight loss, and patient education prior to considering arthroplasty. However, achieving satisfactory long-term outcomes remains challenging, as patients are often unmotivated to adhere to training programs involving functional strength and mobility exercises unless they are supervised by a physiotherapist. Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) may serve as an alternative exercise method with a higher potential for sustained effects. BBAT is a movement-based therapy applied to daily life activities, focusing on body alignment and movement quality. Through the learning process of BBAT-by doing, reflecting, and transferring body awareness into everyday movements-it is hypothesized that patients gain self-efficacy and skills essential for maintaining independent and continuous exercise. BBAT is a body-mind therapeutic approach that emphasizes awareness of body sensations and movement patterns, aiming to restructure body awareness and motor control through individual experience. Increased attention to movement and bodily experiences enhances awareness of both physical and mental aspects. Through specific exercises, BBAT helps to reveal and improve the interaction and synergy between body and mind, thereby promoting postural stability, movement fluidity, and awareness of bodily reactions and internal resources. By encouraging reduced energy expenditure during daily activities and improving movement quality through self-exploration and experiential learning, BBAT contributes to improvements in postural imbalance, muscle tension, and bodily dysfunction. BBAT movements are simple, comfortable, balanced, and based on repeated experiential learning. Exercises are performed in various positions, including lying, sitting, standing, and walking. Physiotherapists guide patients using both physical and verbal cues to facilitate improved postural control, balance, and breathing during movement. Central sensitization may lead individuals with osteoarthritis to perceive normal bodily functions as painful, resulting in compensatory and dysfunctional movement strategies. It has been reported that mindfulness-based and body-mind therapies can reduce pain and symptoms while improving physical function in clinical management. Moreover, as emphasized in the recommendations of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI), active patient involvement in health management is a core component of body-mind therapies such as BBAT. Despite these potential benefits, there is a limited number of studies investigating the effects of BBAT in individuals with osteoarthritis. Given that BBAT requires no equipment, can be practiced in any setting, promotes social engagement through group-based sessions, enhances relaxation and mind-body awareness, and reduces stress and anxiety, it may represent a favorable alternative exercise model. Additionally, BBAT may improve exercise adherence and contribute to reducing healthcare burden and associated costs. Comparing the effects of different therapeutic programs across multiple outcome parameters may help identify the most effective interventions for individuals with osteoarthritis, thereby improving clinical outcomes. In this context, the present study aims to compare the effects of Basic Body Awareness Therapy, applied in addition to conventional physiotherapy and a home exercise program, on pain, muscle strength, range of motion, balance, active joint position sense, functional outcomes, pressure pain threshold, kinesiophobia, and quality of life in individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

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