Members of the Physioworks Health Group physiotherapy team are currently assisting the University of Melbourne in a new research project into Knee Osteoarthritis (OA), and also continuing research into Hip Impairment Management.
Exercise for Knee Osteoarthritis targets high risk physical characteristics. The project, TARGET, is being funded by the Melbourne School of Health Sciences.
Physiotherapists Andrew Dalwood and Jon Dodd from Physioworks Camberwell; and Christopher Snell and James Serong from Waverley Park Physiotherapy Centre (Mulgrave), are applying the research processes in review of clients displaying the specific research symptoms.
The research will specifically compare the effects of two different physiotherapy delivered exercise programs (strength versus neuromuscular) for individuals suffering with painful knee OA and evaluate if people who have high risk physical characteristics (obesity and/or a knee versus thrust on walking) respond differently to either of the exercise programs. The study aim is to help develop treatment programs that better target the “right type of exercise program to the right patient”.
Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Physioworks Director Andrew Dalwood said that an aging population combined with the increasing cost of health care, especially for surgery, the effectiveness of low cost interventions, such as exercise, means it is paramount to understand all the benefits. “And this cutting edge research also keeps Physioworks Health Group and our health-care clinicians at the forefront of treatment management excellence” added Andrew.
The TARGET research project runs for an 18 month period.