Study shows static cycling benefits patients with hip osteoarthritis

A study has shown that static cycling can benefit people with osteoarthritis in their hips, compared to traditional physiotherapy.

The CLEAT study involved patients taking part in weekly group cycling sessions alongside education sessions to help them manage their osteoarthritis.

The study was carried out by a team from Bournemouth University and University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) with support from the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. It was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

Around 10 million people in the UK suffered from osteoarthritis (OA), with around a third of those experiencing it in the hip joints.

Most people being treated on the NHS will be referred for physiotherapy sessions, but some will also need surgical intervention to repair the hip.

The CHAIN programme is an eight week course of static cycling sessions that was devised to help people with hip OA by building muscle and bone strength, as well as improving balance and fitness, and combined the exercise classes with education sessions about managing hip OA.

The CLEAT study compared outcomes for patients on the CHAIN programme to those having regular NHS physiotherapy sessions.

Data from the five-year follow-up showed a significant improvement in hip function for CHAIN participants compared to those having usual physiotherapy care.

The results of the study have been published in the Lancet Rheumatology journal.

The hope is that this simple and cheap intervention could not only benefit OA patients, but also help the NHS by reducing costs and waiting lists for physiotherapy and surgery.

The CHAIN programme is now being offered to hip OA patients in Dorset in a partnership between the research team and leisure centre operator BH Live, while an educational app has also been developed by Bournemouth University. The hope is that the intervention could now be rolled out nationwide.

For more information on this study and how the CHAIN programme is now being implemented, read the Bournemouth University article .

Read the full publication on the CLEAT study here .