Watch this video to see the CHAIN (Cycling against Hip Pain) programme in action at the BH Live Littledown centre in Bournemouth. Hear from the CHAIN participants who are taking part in a static bike class.
CHAIN is an exercise and education treatment pathway for people with hip osteoarthritis and other forms of hip pain. It was conceived by Professor Robert Middleton and Professor Thomas Wainwright of the Orthopaedic Research Institute at Bournemouth University, with the aim of promoting the self-management of osteoarthritic symptoms through lifestyle change. The programme is based on the latest National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the treatment of osteoarthritis, which recommend exercise (local muscle strengthening and aerobic training), education and weight loss where necessary.
For further information about the CHAIN programme, please visit our website: https://microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk/ori/chain/
I’m here at Littleown Center today showing you the chain program, a cycling and education program for people with arthritis of the hip. Today I’m here working as part of the chain project delivering the studio cycling session for the participants. All of the guys that are here today have been referred um to the physiootherapy department at UHD. They’re all here because they have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of their hip in varying different degrees. I have got osteoarthritis but fortunately in the very early stages so I’m at the other end of the scale and I’m going for as much prevention as I can. I started having hip problems a couple of years ago and through physio I was referred to a doctor the doctor on to this program and I’ve been doing it what seven weeks. The aim of our team in exercise referral is to introduce people with um a long-term health condition to the benefits of physical activity and one of the classes that would be perhaps top on our list for those who could would definitely be studio cycling. It has so many benefits. It’s nonweightbearing. It’s low impact. We’ve seen uh increased range of movement particularly in flexion based activities like putting your shoes and socks on which are notoriously difficult for people with arthritis in their hip. much better now. My my wife actually doesn’t need to put my socks on anymore, which is really good. The twinges that I get, I find have lessened since I’ve been doing the program. Providing I keep doing my daily stretches and these exercises, I can walk further. I’m gradually building back up to the walking distance I used to do before. I’m the only physiotherapist here with over eight sessions with um up to 20 people. Uh, so it’s an extremely economical way of managing it as well. But more than that, it’s effective and patients enjoy it. The group are talking to each other. They’re planning what they’re going to do afterwards and you would never get that from a one-to-one physiootherapy session. That just doesn’t happen. What we’d love to do now is help more patients across the country. Therefore, we’ve created a toolkit that other hospitals and leisure centers can use so they can provide the same program to their patients. In that way, we can help the millions of patients with arthritis that are all over the country.