Gentle group workouts may ease joint pain without drugs
NCT ID NCT03711773
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study is testing whether low-impact group exercise classes can help reduce pain in people with knee, hip, or ankle osteoarthritis. Participants attend one-hour group sessions three times a week for six months, led by a physical therapist or trainer. The study also includes standard dietitian and behavioral health support. Researchers will track pain scores and body mass index to see if the program improves symptoms.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- group physical therapy classes
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a simple, drug-free way to ease joint pain and improve function for many people.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational-style study without a control group, so results may be influenced by other factors. The exercise program requires a 6-month commitment, which may be hard for some to maintain.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 10,000 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2018
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 18 and over * Ability to attend classes 3x weekly for 6 months with at least a 66% attendance rate * Ability to concurrently attend standard of care dietitian and behavioral health classes for 6 months * Joint pain (knee, ankle, hip) Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant * Prisoners
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Missouri Orthopaedic Institute
RECRUITINGColumbia, Missouri, 65202, United States
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