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Group Cycling Programme Outperforms Standard Physiotherapy and Cuts Costs for Hip Osteoarthritis Care

The eight-week CHAIN programme is now available virtually after a trial showed superior short-term functional gains and cost savings compared with usual physiotherapy, pending longer-term evaluation

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Overview

  • A randomized study of 211 patients published in The Lancet Rheumatology compared the CHAIN group cycling and education intervention with conventional one-to-one physiotherapy.
  • Participants in the CHAIN programme reported significantly greater improvements on the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for activities of daily living.
  • By treating multiple patients simultaneously, the eight-week course delivered lower per-patient costs and could help reduce NHS physiotherapy waiting lists and hip replacement rates.
  • Bournemouth University and partners have rolled out a virtual version of the CHAIN programme via an education app to extend access beyond local clinics.
  • Researchers note that longer-term follow-up is needed to confirm the durability of benefits and assess the intervention’s broader generalisability.