Table 4.
Frequency of non pharmacological and oral pharmacological treatments prescribed during the consultation for knee OA for general practitioners (GPs) and rheumatologists (RHs)
| All patients n = 1,821 |
GPs n = 1,570 |
RHs n = 251 |
P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacological treatments | ||||
| Acetaminophen | 43.4 | 44.0 | 39.8 | ns |
| Weak opioid analgesics | 30.5 | 30.9 | 28.3 | ns |
| Strong opioid analgesics | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.2 | ns |
| Low-dose NSAIDs | 13.3 | 15.1 | 5.2 | < 0.0001 |
| Oral NSAIDs | 33.7 | 35.0 | 25.5 | < 0.05 |
| Coxibs | 8.5 | 8.9 | 6.4 | ns |
| Topical NSAIDs | 29.0 | 31.1 | 15.9 | < 0.0001 |
| Proton pump inhibitor | 25.9 | 26.9 | 19.5 | < 0.05 |
| Symptomatic slow-acting drugs | 39.9 | 39.1 | 45.0 | < 0.01 |
| Homeopathy | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.4 | ns |
| Phytotherapy | 2.9 | 2.7 | 4.4 | ns |
| Non pharmacological treatments | ||||
| Weight loss (if obese) | 63.4 | 65.4 | 51.4 | < 0.0001 |
| Information and education | 54.6 | 52.3 | 68.9 | < 0.0001 |
| Exercise | 35.7 | 33.9 | 47.4 | < 0.0001 |
| Physical therapy | 21.1 | 33.8 | 21.9 | < 0.001 |
Values are percentages. NSAIDs = nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. ns = not significant