This study was to examine the effects of electrical muscle stimulation therapy on chronic knee pain in the elderly.

The research design was a one-group pretest-posttest design. The subjects were 45 (TE: 17, SE: 15, SY: 13) elderly,65 years old and above with chronic knee pain. Pain was measured by the S-F McGill Pain Questuionnaire (S-F MPQ) and Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale (AIMS). Electrical muscle stimulation therapy experimental treatment was applied for 12 weeks, 3 times/week, 15 min/time. Data was collected from March 2005 to February 2006. Data was analyzed using the SPSS PC+ 12 version.

After receiving electrical muscle stimulation therapy, chronic knee pain in TE (S-F MPQ: t=-62.143, p=.000, AIMS: t=-29.155, p=.000), SE (S-F MPQ: t=-76.345, p=.000, AIMS: t=-39.323, p=.000), and SY (S-F MPQ: t=-43.691, p=.000, AIMS: t=-30.306, p=.000) groups were significantly decreased.

Electrical muscle stimulation therapy can be a better effective primary nursing intervention for chronic knee pain for community dwelling elderly people with TE, SE, and SY.