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Home based exercise programme for knee pain and knee osteoarthritis: randomised controlled trial
K S Thomas1, K R Muir, M Doherty
1Academic Rheumatology, City Hospital, Nottingham NG5 1PB.
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)
|October 5, 2002
Summary
A home-based exercise program significantly reduced knee pain in adults over 45. Adherence to the exercise plan correlated with greater pain reduction, highlighting its effectiveness for knee pain management.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Orthopedics
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Knee pain affects a significant portion of the adult population over 45.
- Effective, accessible management strategies for knee pain are crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a home-based exercise program for improving outcomes in patients with knee pain.
- To compare exercise therapy, telephone contact, and combined interventions against no intervention.
Main Methods:
- A pragmatic, factorial randomized controlled trial involving 786 participants aged 45+ with self-reported knee pain.
- Participants were randomized into four groups: exercise therapy, telephone contact, combined therapy, or no intervention.
- Primary outcome measured was knee pain using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index at two years.
Main Results:
- A total of 600 participants (76.3%) completed the two-year study.
- Pooled exercise groups showed significant reductions in knee pain at 24 months compared to non-exercise groups (mean difference -0.82).
- Improvements in pain were observed at multiple time points, with greater reduction linked to higher adherence to the exercise plan.
Conclusions:
- A simple home-based exercise program is an effective intervention for significantly reducing knee pain.
- The results suggest that improvements are primarily due to the exercise component, not solely psychosocial effects from therapist contact.