G Hernández-Molina

Dr G Hernández-Molina, Clinical Epidemiology Research and Training Unit, Boston, MA, USA; gabyhm@yahoo.com

QUESTION

In patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA), does exercise help to relieve pain?

REVIEW SCOPE

Included studies compared an exercise intervention (strengthening or aerobic) with no exercise in patients with hip OA (with or without knee OA). The exercise interventions involved ⩾1 session/week (median 3) for ⩾4 weeks, with each session lasting ⩾30 minutes (median 53 min). Trials involving passive mobilisation or postoperative exercise therapy were excluded. Outcome was pain assessed using an accepted measure.

REVIEW METHODS

Medline (to Jul 2007), EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, PEDro, Cochrane databases, abstracts of scientific meetings, and references were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with ⩾60% of participants completing the study. 9 …