News release

From: The University of Melbourne

Australians experiencing chronic knee pain achieve similar pain reduction whether they consult with physiotherapists via video or attend in-person physiotherapy sessions, new research shows, expanding the scope of treatment possibilities, particularly for people in regional and remote locations.

The research, published today in The Lancet, shows that knee pain was reduced by 50 percent on average with video consults, compared to a 48 percent average reduction with in-person consults, for people with chronic knee pain after three months.

University of Melbourne Professor Rana Hinman from the Department of Physiotherapy led a clinical trial of 394 adults experiencing knee problems consistent with knee osteoarthritis who were managed by 15 physiotherapists across 27 Australian clinics.

190 participants were treated via video consults, and 204 in-person in clinics.

Both groups had five consultations over three months to help improve muscle strength, physical activity and knowledge around managing their condition. Participating physiotherapists received video conferencing training before the trial.

Professor Hinman said the results give Australians with mobility issues and those in remote parts of the country a convenient means to access physiotherapy care.

“Around 22 percent of Australians aged 45 and over have osteoarthritis, with the knee being the most common joint affected. It is a very common, and sometimes debilitating complaint, for many,” Professor Hinman said.

“Until now, there has been limited research comparing video conferencing consults head-to-head with in-person physiotherapy sessions for people with chronic joint pain.

“This research shows that for people with chronic knee pain, who often have mobility issues or live in regional and rural parts of the country, videoconferencing with a physiotherapist is as effective as an in-person consultation – but without the inconvenience of travelling to a clinic.

“This opens up avenues for those people who may require ongoing physiotherapy to manage chronic knee pain.”

Professor Hinman said it also points to the need for telerehabilitation training for physiotherapists in the future.

“This research builds on previous work and has ramifications for the industry around how rehabilitation services for musculoskeletal complaints can be delivered,” Professor Hinman said.

“It also shows that telerehabilitation training is warranted for physiotherapists, to be able to expand on the care and support they already provide in-person.”

Notes:

·       The clinical trial was a non-inferiority randomised trial, a trial which is intended to show that a new treatment is not inferior to (worse than) the standard treatment

·       Trial participants were recruited between 10 December 2019 and 17 June 2022

·       The physiotherapists were based in regional and metropolitan parts of Victoria and Queensland

Researchers from The University of Queensland, Monash University and Keele University were involved in this research.