Exercise interventions and patient beliefs for people with chronic hip and knee pain: a mixed methods review

Abstract

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: Overarching objective To improve our understanding of the complex inter‐relationship between pain, psychosocial effects, physical function and exercise. Specific aims and objectives: To systematically review the evidence on the impact of physical exercise on patients' pain, physical and psychosocial functioning including: identifying the most effective formats for delivering exercise advice; explaining why some exercise interventions may be more effective than others; recommending exercise formats and content by constructing a "toolbox" which describes the most effective exercise interventions for healthcare providers and patients to use. These will be achieved by conducting: a synthesis of quantitative data on the benefits and harm of exercise interventions for improving pain, physical and psychosocial functioning; a synthesis of qualitative data on participant's experiences, opinions and preferences of physical exercise; a cross‐studies synthesis of the quantitative and qualitative data to assess the extent to which existing evaluated interventions address the needs and concerns of people living with osteoarthritis