Emotional blindness may sabotage knee pain therapy

This study investigates whether alexithymia—a condition where people struggle to identify and describe their emotions—affects how well patients with knee osteoarthritis respond to physical therapy. Sixty participants aged 40 to 75 with moderate knee osteoarthritis will receive a standard 3-week physical therapy program including heat, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and exercises. Researchers will measure pain, function, anxiety, and depression before treatment, right after, and 6 weeks later to see if alexithymia predicts a worse outcome.