A loaded self-managed exercise programme for patellofemoral pain
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A loaded self-managed exercise programme for patellofemoral pain: a mixed methods feasibility study
IRAS ID
211417
Contact name
Benjamin Smith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 10 months, 29 days
Research summary
Knee pain is a common complaint, with 1 in 6 young adults suffering from pain around the kneecap at any one time. The routine treatment is physiotherapy and painkillers, but current long-term outcomes are poor with 91% of patients reporting pain 4 years after starting treatment. This means that many patients are exposed to potential long-term disability and pain. Patients with this complaint will typically receive a course of physiotherapy which can include a variety of treatments. These may include strengthening exercises, taping, stretches and foot orthoses. The use of strengthening exercises has been shown to be most promising, but the best ‘dose’ remains unclear. Strengthening exercises which are self-managed and include movements that reproduce the patient’s symptoms have been shown to be beneficial for the back and shoulders, but further investigation is warranted to evaluate these exercises for the knee and particularly in relation to home based exercise versus usual physiotherapy.
The best research would be a trial of different treatments, with patients randomly assigned to each to see which is better. However, we are in the early stages, and do not know if this intervention is acceptable for this current patient group. We also do not know if we will be able to recruit a suitable number of patients into a study.
Therefore a feasibility trial will be conducted with adults randomly assigned to usual physiotherapy or a loaded self-managed exercise programme. The aim is to establish the feasibility of conducting a definitive trial which will evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a loaded self-managed exercise programme for people with pain around the kneecap. The assessment will be in the form of patient recorded outcome measures and a number of interviews to understand patients’ and therapists’ perceptions and potential barriers.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/WM/0414
Date of REC Opinion
7 Nov 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion