New Breakthroughs On Social and Psychological Influences on Knee Osteoarthritis
In what ways do an individual’s psychological and social states influence the knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain experience? Researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand worked closely with Roger Fillingim to characterize the pain experience of individuals with knee OA. Using a smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA), they explored the relationships between momentary psychological, social, and lifestyle factors and knee OA pain.
86 community-dwelling volunteers living with knee OA used the smartphone app to report their pain three times a day for two weeks as well as their social and psychological states, such as their stress, fatigue and mood. It was found that although pain levels and symptoms varied among individuals, those who had more fluctuations in pain, fatigue and negative emotions tended to experience worse overall symptoms.
The overall potential of real time tracking of these factors via app however, could provide insights into managing pain more effectively as well as help develop more individualized treatment approaches!
The article has been published in PAIN Reports and can be accessed here!
Pilot Trial Reveals Link Between Exercise, Breathing and Pain Outcomes
Exercise is often recommended as a treatment for chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP) because of its multifaceted benefits and its ability to address both physical and psychological aspects of the condition. Adding specific breathing techniques to these exercises may improve outcomes however, no studies have compared the effects of identical exercises with and without these breathing techniques.
Steven Pratscher, alongside researchers from both Finland, Switzerland and Belgium studied the efficacy of exercise with and without breathing techniques amongst 30 participants in a recent pilot study and found that synchronized breathing with movement-controlled exercise was potentially more effective for improving various outcomes of CNSLBP.
Learn more about the study, “Identical movement control exercises with and without synchronized breathing for chronic non-specific low back pain: A randomized pilot trial” which has been published in the Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, here!