Inclusion criteria | |
---|---|
Diagnosis | Osteoarthritis |
NICE [4] working diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the hip, knee or lumbar spine defined as: | |
• Age 45 years old or over, and | |
• Activity related joint pain and | |
• Either no morning joint-related stiffness or morning stiffness that lasts no longer than 30 min | |
Non-specific low back pain | |
Aged ≥ 30 years old with non-specific low back pain of mechanical origin with or without radiation to the lower limb | |
Symptom duration | Chronic (≥ 3 months) |
English language | Be able to read, understand and speak English without assistance |
Contact status | Access to a telephone for screening and assessment |
Availability | Available to attend a 6-week start-stop group class of 1.5 h per week |
Exclusion criteria | |
 Pathology | Suspected or confirmed serious spinal pathology (fracture, metastatic, inflammatory or infective diseases of the spine, cauda equina syndrome/widespread neurological disorder) |
Nerve root compromise (2 of strength, reflex or sensation affected for same nerve root) | |
Lower limb arthroplasty | |
 Past medical history | Spinal surgery or history of systemic / inflammatory disease |
 Current medical status | Scheduled for major surgery during treatment |
 Contraindications | Unstable angina / uncontrolled cardiac dysrhythmias / severe aortic stenosis / acute systemic infection accompanied by fever |
 Other | No confounding conditions, such as a neurological disorder, intellectual disorder or unstable psychiatric condition. |
Bladder or bowel incontinence | |
People who are assessed to be at high risk of falls | |
Physiotherapy in the preceding 6 months | |
Unable or unwilling to attend | |
Ongoing litigation related to the pain condition |