The effects of using Maneevej technique on pain levels and analgesic utilization in patients with chronic knee pain

Abstract

Chronic knee pain is a common issue among the elderly. This pre-experimental study aimed to compare pain levels and the use of analgesic between before and after knee balance adjustment using Maneevej at three periods including immediately, one week after, and four weeks after. The sample consisted of 30 patients with chronic knee pain. Research tools included the Maneevej body balance manual, general information recording form, pain level and analgesic usage measurement forms, and satisfaction measurement forms. Patients were received knee balance adjustments and performed Maneevej exercises at home twice daily, morning and evening, for four weeks. Pain levels and analgesic usage were recorded before and after balance adjustment immediately, one week later, and four weeks later. General data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, mean, SD, and repeated measure ANOVA. The statistical significance level was set at 0.05.

The results showed that patients with chronic knee pain had a high average knee pain level of 7.40 (95% CI = 6.61-8.19) before the Maneevej adjustment. After the knee balance adjustment, pain levels significantly decreased over time. The average pain level immediately after knee adjustment was 4.07 (95%CI = 3.56-4.58, p < 0.001), one week after adjustment was 2.90 (95% CI = 2.52-3.28, p<0.001), and four weeks after adjustment was 2.23 (95% CI = 1.94-2.51, p < 0.001). The amount of analgesic usage also significantly decreased after the knee balance adjustment with Maneevej (p<0.001). Patients expressed the highest satisfaction with the ability to adjust their knee balance themselves when experiencing pain, the focus on solving the root cause of the problem, cost savings, and reduced analgesic usage. The average satisfaction scores were 4.90, 4.87, 4.86, and 4.83, respectively.

In conclusion, knee balance adjustment using Maneevej reduces pain levels and analgesic usage. It is recommended to promote the use of Maneevej for patients with chronic knee pain and other chronic pain conditions. Encouraging patients to continuously perform body balance adjustments using Maneevej principles at home will help maintain normal body structure balance, thereby reducing various body pains in the long term.