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PROVE, our clinical trial on Physiotherapy Rehabilitation for Osteoporotic Vertebral Fracture is currently recruiting participants from 13 centres across England, with an additional five centres being set up.

PROVE, our clinical trial on Physiotherapy Rehabilitation for Osteoporotic Vertebral Fracture is currently recruiting participants from 13 centres across England, with an additional five centres being set up.

The study has been running for just over a year and aims to discover if physiotherapy can improve life quality and mobility for patients recovering from spine fractures related to their osteoporosis by comparing usual care vs. an exercise based intervention vs. a manual therapy based intervention; it will also look at the cost-effectiveness of offering physiotherapy as a care package.

Each year, 120,000 osteoporosis-related spine fractures occur in the UK; 40 % of patients diagnosed with a vertebral fracture will have constant pain and the majority will have difficulties with activities of daily living. Many of these patients are referred for physiotherapy to help with recovery, but we do not know which type of physiotherapy is most helpful to people.

Lead researcher Dr Karen Barker, of NDORMS and Clinical Director (Musculoskeletal) & Head of Physiotherapy at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre says of the study:  “We know that suitable physiotherapy can have a significant impact at improving patients’ function and quality of life. The incidence of osteoporosis and associated spinal problems will continue to increase as our population ages and it is vital that we develop effective treatment strategies to help those patients in pain from this disease. Already, PROVE is the largest physiotherapy trial in osteoporosis and on completion of the trial we are confident we will be in a position to advise patients, clinicians and health care commissioners on the place of physiotherapy in osteoporosis management.”

PROVE is led by the University of Oxford and funded by the NIHR HTA (National Institute of Health Research Health Technology Assessment).

You can read more about PROVE on their website. If you are interested in participating and finding out more about this trial please send an email to prove@ndorms.ox.ac.uk or call 01865223489.