Brief summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether Tai Chi exercise, used as an adjunct to standard physiotherapy, can improve balance, functional status, pain, and knee joint mobility in older adults (65-75 years) diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis), compared with standard physiotherapy alone and physiotherapy combined with virtual reality-based training.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does adding Tai Chi to standard physiotherapy lead to greater improvements in static and dynamic balance (Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go test) in patients with knee osteoarthritis?
Does Tai Chi result in superior improvements in pain intensity (VAS), functional status (WOMAC), and knee joint range of motion compared with standard physiotherapy and VR-based training?
Researchers will compare three intervention arms-standard physiotherapy, standard physiotherapy plus virtual reality (Kinect-based biofeedback training), and standard physiotherapy plus Tai Chi-to determine whether Tai Chi provides greater clinical and functional benefits than the other rehabilitation approaches.
Participants will:
Receive standard inpatient physiotherapy for knee osteoarthritis
Additionally perform one of the following interventions for 30 minutes daily over 4 weeks:
Tai Chi exercises led by a qualified therapist, focusing on balance, controlled movement, and pain-free execution
Virtual reality-based balance training using a Kinect system
Undergo assessments before and after the intervention period, including pain, balance, functional performance, and knee joint mobility measures