Media release

From: American College of Physicians

3. Resistance training no better than neuromuscular exercise in persons with hip osteoarthritis 
 
A study of persons with hip osteoarthritis (OA) found no difference between progressive resistance training (PRT) and neuromuscular exercise (NEMEX) for improving functional performance, hip pain, or hip-related quality of life. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

High-quality evidence has shown that exercise is effective in reducing pain and improving physical function in hip OA, and clinical guidelines recommend exercise as first-line treatment. NEMEX and PRT are both exercise programs meant to improve pain, physical function, and quality of life in persons with hip OA. However, there is limited evidence comparing any exercise programs or establishing optimal exercise content or dosage in persons with hip OA.

Researchers from Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark, conducted a multicenter cluster randomized controlled trial of 160 persons with hip OA. Eighty-two participants were randomly assigned to PRT and 78 were assigned to NEMEX for 12 weeks. The PRT intervention consisted of 5 high-intensity resistance training exercises targeting muscles at the hip and knee joints. The NEMEX intervention included 10 exercises and emphasized sensorimotor control and functional stability. The authors found that there were no clinically relevant differences in outcomes between groups. However, the authors noted a slightly larger improvement in muscle strength and power for participants undergoing PRT and suggest that PRT may be a better option for patients who present with muscle weakness or are at risk for developing sarcopenia.