Abstract
Background: Knee esthetic anesthesia is one of the most common diseases of old age. Pain, which limits the activity of patients, is the most common symptom of the disease. Self-management is one of the best approaches for reducing the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Aims and Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the effect of self-management training on pain intensity in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Materials and Methods: The present quasi-experimental study was conducted on 100 patients with knee osteoarthritis who referred to Imam Hossein Malayer Hospital; subjects were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly divided into two groups of test and control. Required data were collected using a questionnaire including demographic information and pain intensity questionnaire, which was measured by visual analog scale. Questionnaires were completed before and 2 months after the intervention by both groups. Then, pain intensity was evaluated and compared in two groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22, Chi-square, independent t-test, and paired t-test.

Results: The results showed that the mean score of pain severity was not significantly different between the two groups before and after the intervention (P < 0.05). There was a statistically significant decrease between the mean scores of pain intensity before (3.97 ± 0.91) and after intervention (2.77 ± 1.03) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean pain scores in the intervention and control groups after intervention (P < 0.05). However, in the control group, there was no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of pain severity before the intervention (3.96 ± 1.12) and after intervention (3.64 ±0.8) (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that considering proper diet and using non-medical pain relief methods such as exercise and stretching exercises and water treatment during self-management can reduce the severity of pain in knee osteoarthritis patients. Therefore, the implementation of self-management program by patients can be effective in reducing the incapacity and improves their range of motion.

Key words: Knee Osteoarthritis; Self-management Training; Pain Intensity