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Multicomponent Exercise and Pain Science Education for Fall Prevention in Older Adults With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain (MovePainFall)
Sponsor: Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
Summary
Chronic musculoskeletal pain is common in older adults and is associated with reduced mobility, loss of function, poorer quality of life, fear of movement, fear of falling and a higher risk of falls. Exercise programmes are effective in preventing falls, but very few programmes combine fall-prevention exercise with pain self-management, including pain science education, for older people who live in the community and have both chronic pain and an increased risk of falling. The goal of this pilot randomised controlled feasibility trial is to find out whether it is feasible, acceptable and safe to deliver a 12-week supervised group programme (MovePainFall) that combines multicomponent exercise with pain science and fall-prevention education, compared with a control group that maintains usual activities, in community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or over with chronic musculoskeletal pain (lasting 3 months or more). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is it feasible to recruit, randomise, retain and engage participants (recruitment rate, eligibility, adherence, retention) and is the programme safe and acceptable? * What are the preliminary effects of the programme on mobility, balance, lower-limb strength, dual-task performance, pain intensity and interference, fear of falling, fear of movement and quality of life? Researchers will compare the MovePainFall group with the control group to estimate feasibility parameters and preliminary effect sizes that will inform the design and sample size of a future full-scale randomised controlled trial. Participants in the MovePainFall group will: * attend three supervised 60-minute group exercise sessions per week for 12 weeks (warm-up, strength and power, challenging balance, motor-cognitive dual-task training, functional gait and daily-living tasks, relaxation); * attend one additional 30-45-minute group education session per week on pain neuroscience, pain self-management and fall prevention. Participants in the control group will maintain their usual activities and routine health care and may be invited to attend the programme after the post-intervention assessment (waiting list). All participants will be assessed by blinded assessors before randomisation and after the 12-week intervention period.
Official title: MovePainFall - Multicomponent Exercise and Pain Science Education for Fall Prevention in Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Feasibility Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
65 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
40
Start Date
2026-11-02
Completion Date
2027-03-05
Last Updated
2026-10-27
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
MovePainFall multicomponent exercise programme
Supervised group multicomponent exercise, 3 sessions/week x 60 min for 12 weeks (36 sessions), based on ICFSR exercise recommendations (FITT), Otago principles and MultiMove motor-cognitive training. Each session: (i) warm-up/joint mobility, 5-10 min, Borg 9-11; (ii) strength and power, 15 min, 4-6 functional exercises, 1-3 sets x 8-12 reps, from 30-40% to 70-80% 1RM (Borg 12-13 to 15-17), with power training (40-60% 1RM, maximal intended concentric velocity) in weeks 9-12; (iii) challenging balance, 10-15 min, stations with reduced base of support, weight shifts, reduced sensory input and stepping strategies; (iv) motor-cognitive dual-task training, 10 min, 3 phases of increasing complexity (weeks 1-4, 5-8, 9-12); (v) functional gait and ADL circuit, 10 min, Borg 12-14; (vi) relaxation, 5-10 min, Borg \<11. Individualised progression; attendance and adverse events are recorded.
Pain science and fall-prevention education
Group education session of 30-45 minutes once per week for 12 weeks (12 sessions), delivered in addition to the exercise sessions and always combined with exercise. Pain neuroscience content: neurophysiology of pain, nociception, pain versus tissue damage, peripheral and central sensitisation, neuroplasticity, fear-avoidance, pain and sleep, cognitions (catastrophising, fear, self-efficacy) and emotions, and self-management strategies (exercise, activity pacing, sleep hygiene, stress management). Fall-prevention content: intrinsic and environmental risk factors, the role of strength and balance exercise, safe gait and transfers, managing fear of falling and active-living strategies. Delivered with discussion of personal experiences, metaphors, diagrams, audiovisual and written materials, and information leaflets.
Locations (1)
School of Education, Universidade Politécnica de Bragança (+Idade +Saúde community programme)
Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Portugal