Background: Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain is high among eldercare workers, and therapeutic exercise has shown to be effective for its management. Although telerehabilitation is an increasingly used alternative for delivering therapeutic exercise, no studies have assessed synchronous group telerehabilitation interventions for the management of musculoskeletal disorders. Thus, the aim of this article is to describe the protocol of a randomized controlled trial that will assess the effects of a videoconference-based group therapeutic exercise intervention on the musculoskeletal pain of eldercare workers.
Methods: This multicenter trial will randomly assign 130 eldercare workers to either a control or experimental group. Participants in the control group will not receive any intervention, and participants in the experimental group will take part in a 12-week remote supervised videoconference-based intervention, consisting of 2 weekly 45-min group sessions. Each session will include 4 sets of 6 progressive resistance exercises for the lower limbs, upper limbs and trunk, performed with bodyweight and elastic bands at moderate-high intensity. Following the 12 weeks, participants in the experimental group will be provided with material for autonomously carry on the therapeutic exercises and advised to continue performing 2 weekly sessions on their own until a 48-week follow-up. Assessments will be performed at baseline, 12 and 48 weeks. Primary outcome will be average pain intensity in the low back during the last 7 days, measured by the 0-10 Numerical Rating Scale. Secondary outcomes will include additional measures of musculoskeletal pain, psycho-affective state, work-related variables, and physical fitness.
Discussion: This will be the first trial, to our knowledge, assessing whether a remote delivery of a group therapeutic exercise intervention via videoconference is effective for reducing the musculoskeletal pain, improving the psycho-affective state and physical fitness, and enhancing the work-related parameters in eldercare workers. If successful, this study will provide innovative tools for implementing effective, scalable and affordable interventions to tackle musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. It will also highlight the utility of telehealth, and address the importance of therapeutic exercise to manage musculoskeletal pain in a critical population for the future of the aging societies as it is the eldercare workers.
Trial registration: The study protocol was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (registration number: NCT05050526) on September 20, 2021.
Keywords: Clinical trial; Mental health; Musculoskeletal disorders; Occupational health; Pain; Physical fitness; Quality of life; Resistance exercise; Study protocol; Tele-rehabilitation.
© 2023. The Author(s).