A Comparison of the Effects of Upper Versus Lower Body Aerobic Exercise on the Experience of Pain in Individuals with Chronic Knee Pain

Overview:

Aerobic exercise is known to be most effective in reducing joint pain in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. Despite this, it is still common to experience an acute flare up of pain following a single bout of exercise. Aerobic exercise not involving the affected joint may offer an alternative mode of exercise by still possessing systemic pain-relieving effects (both physiologically and psychologically) while alleviating any mechanical or local inflammatory stress on the affected joint.  

Aims and Objectives:

We want to determine whether upper body aerobic exercise can be used as an alternative exercise mode for relieving pain while preventing common pain flares that can be experienced following a single bout of exercise. 

Key Findings:

Upper body aerobic exercise is effective in decreasing patient reported symptomatic knee pain in individuals with chronic knee pain and knee osteoarthritis, in comparison to lower body aerobic exercise from immediate post exercise to 1 day’s post exercise.

Outputs:

Deere R. "The effects of upper versus lower body submaximal exercise on perceived pain, in individuals with chronic knee pain."  Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis Research Versus Arthritis Translational Research for Long-Term Musculoskeletal Health Conference. Crowne Plaza Hotel, Nottingham, 3rd November 2022. 

Work Package	Life Course Impact: Transform
Objective	2.1
Lead	Rachel Deere and Matthew Farrow
Investigators	James Bilzon
Institution	University of Bath