Intermittent Light Walking for Musculoskeletal Pain

Overseen By Kelly M Naugle, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Indiana University

Must not be taking: Chronic opioids

Disqualifiers: Cardiovascular issues, Neurological disease, Psychiatric conditions, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

40 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests whether short walks can reduce pain and improve movement for individuals with musculoskeletal pain, such as joint or muscle aches. Participants will either sit continuously for an hour or take short walking breaks during that time. The study aims to determine if walking breaks can ease pain compared to sitting. It seeks individuals who have experienced joint or muscle pain in the past month and can walk unassisted for a short time. As an unphased trial, it offers an opportunity to contribute to understanding simple, non-drug interventions for pain relief.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you are using chronic opioids (for 90 days or more), you would not be eligible to participate.

What prior data suggests that intermittent light walking is safe for older adults with musculoskeletal pain?

Research shows that light walking is generally safe for most people. Studies on similar activities suggest that walking can reduce the risk of back and neck pain, potentially alleviating muscle and bone pain without causing harm.

Exercise, such as light walking, often helps with pain and is usually manageable for most individuals. No reports indicate that light walking causes major side effects.

Overall, this type of activity is expected to be safe and might even help reduce pain. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the intermittent light walking protocol for musculoskeletal pain because it offers a simple, non-drug intervention that can be easily integrated into daily life. Unlike standard treatments that often involve medication or physical therapy, this approach focuses on breaking up long periods of sitting with short, light-intensity walking sessions. This method is unique because it targets the negative effects of prolonged sedentary behavior, potentially reducing pain and improving mobility without the side effects associated with medication.

What evidence suggests that intermittent light walking might be an effective treatment for musculoskeletal pain?

Research has shown that walking can reduce pain and improve movement in people with long-term muscle and joint pain. One study found that walking for more than 100 minutes a day reduced the risk of ongoing low back pain by 23% compared to walking less than 78 minutes a day. Another study emphasized the importance of physical activities like walking in treating long-term muscle and joint pain. In this trial, participants will either engage in uninterrupted sitting or sit with intermittent light walking. These findings suggest that light walking at intervals, as tested in this trial, may help older adults manage pain and improve mobility if they have muscle and joint issues. ^{2 5 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Kelly Marie Naugle

Principal Investigator

School of Health and Human Sciences, IUPUI

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for older adults experiencing musculoskeletal pain. Specific eligibility details are not provided, but typically participants should be in stable health and able to perform the required activities.

Inclusion Criteria

I have experienced pain in my joints, bones, or muscles in the last month.

I live in my own home, not in a healthcare facility.

Exclusion Criteria

Participants will be asked to not participate in vigorous or unaccustomed exercise 48 hours prior to each study session.

My blood pressure is controlled, and I have no history of heart failure or heart attacks.

I can't walk for 6 minutes without help.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Session 1

Participants undergo informed consent, health history screening, quantitative sensory testing, 6-minute walk test, completion of questionnaires, experimental conditions of either 1 hour of sitting or 1 hour of sitting with bouts of light intensity walking, and the 30-second chair stand test.

3 hours

1 visit (in-person)

Session 2

Participants complete questionnaires, undergo quantitative sensory testing, and experience the experimental condition not performed in Session 1.

2.5 hours

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the experimental sessions.

1 week

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Intermittent light walking

Trial Overview

The study investigates how brief periods of light walking versus uninterrupted sitting affect bodily pain, movement-related pain, and adaptation to musculoskeletal discomfort in seniors.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Uninterrupted Sitting for 1 hour Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The participant will remain seated throughout the experimental period and will be instructed to minimize excessive movement, only rising from the chair to void. This experimental condition is designed to mimic prolonged uninterrupted sedentary behavior.

Group II: 1 hour of sitting interrupted with 2.5 minute bouts of light intensity walking Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will sit as described above with six bouts of 2.5-minutes of light intensity walking (see Figure 2). Overall, the bouts will occur on six occasions, providing a total of 15 minutes of light intensity activity. Participants will be asked to walk at a light intensity based on the 6-20 RPE scale, which corresponds to a 9-11 RPE rating. This experimental condition is designed to mimic sedentary behavior interspersed with frequent short bouts of LPA. RPE and pain intensity (0-100 scale) will be assessed at the end of each walking bout.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Indiana University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,063

Recruited

1,182,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a 12-month study involving 229 participants with chronic back pain, those in a pedometer-based walking intervention reported a higher number of adverse events (350) compared to the usual care group (250), with musculoskeletal injuries being the most common.

Despite the increased reporting of musculoskeletal events, the study concludes that individuals with chronic back pain can safely participate in walking programs, suggesting the need for counseling on injury prevention and gradual increases in activity levels.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse events experienced by participants in a back pain walking intervention: A descriptive study. Krein, SL., Abdul-Wahab, Y., Kadri, R., et al.[2016]

A 10-week walking program integrated into cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain significantly increased participants' daily step counts by an average of 1648 steps, indicating its effectiveness in promoting physical activity.

The program was safe, with mostly minor and temporary adverse events reported, and it was equally effective whether delivered in person or via interactive voice response, suggesting flexibility in treatment delivery.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Incorporating walking into cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain: safety and effectiveness of a personalized walking intervention. Heapy, AA., Tankha, H., Higgins, DM., et al.[2023]

A systematic review of 8 randomized controlled trials, including 116 participants, found that physical activity interventions using electronic feedback did not significantly reduce pain or disability compared to minimal interventions in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

The overall quality of the evidence was rated as low, suggesting that clinicians should be cautious in using these electronic feedback interventions for managing chronic musculoskeletal pain.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Physical Activity-Based Interventions Using Electronic Feedback May Be Ineffective in Reducing Pain and Disability in Patients With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Oliveira, CB., Franco, MR., Maher, CG., et al.[2019]

Citations

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withpower.com

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Intermittent Light Walking for Musculoskeletal Pain

Research shows that walking interventions can help reduce pain and improve function in people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Strategies to promote walking ...

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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10815384/

The Role of Physical Exercise in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

The aim of this paper is to provide a narrative review of the effects of physical exercise in the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain.

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jamanetwork.com

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Volume and Intensity of Walking and Risk of Chronic Low ...

Walking for more than 100 minutes per day was associated with a 23% lower risk of chronic low back pain compared with walking less than 78 minutes per day.

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thelancet.com

thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)00755-4/fulltext

a randomised controlled trial

We aimed to investigate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an individualised, progressive walking and education intervention ...

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Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Foot Reaction Time in ...

This cross-sectional study examines the association between chronic musculoskeletal pain and foot reaction time (RT) among older community-living adults.

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The objective of the proposed research is to determine the impact of prolonged walking with intermittent standing on musculoskeletal discomfort and muscle ...

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sciencedirect.com

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Association of activity with the risk of developing ...

Higher daily steps were associated with reduced risk of both low-back (HR 0.89 [0.8–0.98]) and neck pain (HR 0.69 [0.54–0.9]). Greater “moderate activity” was ...

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ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com

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Musculoskeletal pain and sedentary behaviour in ...

We found cross-sectional associations of occupational and non-occupational SB with MSP conditions, with occupational SB associations being occupation dependent.