Improving Resilience and Longevity for Workers Through Exercise

McMaster University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Osteoarthritis, Hip; Osteoarthritis, Knee

Treatments: Other: No Exercise; Other: Exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03050320

Workplace Exercise

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of an OA-specific aerobic and strengthening exercise program, delivered within the workplace, on mobility, pain, physical capacity, and resilience among workers with knee or hip OA as well as those with no joint pain. The investigators hypothesize that exercise designed for OA, delivered at work, will improve all of these outcomes.

Full description

The Canadian workforce is aging. The most prevalent age group is 50-54 years and most of these Canadians will aim to continue working over the next 10 years. However, the impact of arthritis on aging Canadians compromises their ability to continue working. By 2031, over 2 million Canadians aged 45 to 64 years will have arthritis. The investigators aim to boost the ability of adults with the most common arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA), as well as adults without OA, to engage in the workforce for as long as they desire. Identifying strategies to promote productivity among workers with knee and hip OA will be of great public health significance in the coming decades. However, the investigators face two challenges. First, obesity among sedentary workers is a risk for worsening knee and hip OA. Second, large occupational loads on the knee and hip worsen OA. Exercise has the most promise in addressing these challenges because it reduces pain and sick time, and improves mental health. Thus, there is a call for studies examining exercise for workers with knee and hip OA.

Enrollment: 43 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• full-time or part-time administrative employees

Exclusion criteria

• Any other forms of arthritis
• Osteoporosis-related fracture
• History of patellofemoral symptoms
• Active non-arthritic hip or knee disease
• Hip or knee surgery
• Use of cane or walking aid
• Unstable heart condition
• Neurological conditions
• Hip, knee or ankle injuries in past 3 months
• Physician-advised restriction to physical activity
• Any injuries that would prohibit participation in exercise
• Ipsilateral ankle conditions
• Currently receiving cancer treatment
• Currently pregnant

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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43 participants in 2 patient groups

Exercise

Experimental group

Description:

The participants in this arm will be asked to attend 3 group classes per week for 12 weeks taught by a certified exercise instructor. Five class times will be offered per week. These classes included a warm-up, static poses shown to decrease knee joint loading, and a cool down including flexibility exercises. Measurements will be obtained at baseline (before intervention) and at follow-up (following intervention). Outcomes included clinical mobility; pain; isometric leg strength; cardiovascular fitness; and resilience.

Treatment:

Other: Exercise

No Exercise

Other group

Description:

The participants in this arm will be asked to refrain from changing their physical activity over the 12 weeks and maintain any strategies typically used to manage knee and/or hip pain. Since it is known that exercise is beneficial for pain management and strengthening in knee OA, participants randomized to the no exercise group will be offered the same exercise program following completion of the study. Measurements will be obtained at baseline (before intervention) and at follow-up (following intervention). Outcomes included clinical mobility; pain; isometric leg strength; cardiovascular fitness; and resilience.

Treatment:

Other: No Exercise