CompletedInterventional

Effect of dietary fibre and exercise on knee pain

Do you have knee pain from osteoarthritis? This study aims to understand if a special fibre supplement and/or a simple exercise plan can help reduce your pain. We're interested in how these things change the friendly bacteria in your gut and natural pain-relieving chemicals in your body. Previous research suggests both diet and exercise can reduce inflammation and pain. If you join, you'll be randomly put into one of four groups: fibre, exercise, both, or a dummy treatment. Over six weeks, we'll check how these approaches affect your knee pain and overall health. Your involvement could help us find better treatments for osteoarthritis in the future.

At a glance

Status

Completed

Sponsor

University of Nottingham

Enrolment target

120

Start

05 Jul 2022

Estimated completion

25 Feb 2025

Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)

What is this study about?

Imagine your knee pain could be helped by something as simple as a fibre supplement or some gentle exercise. That's exactly what researchers at the University of Nottingham are trying to find out! This study is looking into how both what you eat and how much you move might reduce knee pain for people living with osteoarthritis.

We know that the tiny bacteria living in your gut, and the chemicals they produce, play a part in how much inflammation and pain you feel. We also know that exercise can help reduce knee pain. This study will explore how a plant-based fibre supplement might change your gut bacteria and specific natural pain-relieving chemicals. At the same time, it will look at how exercise affects other natural body chemicals, similar to those found in cannabis, which your body makes to help with pain.

By taking part, you could help us understand these connections better. This knowledge could then lead to new and improved ways to manage knee osteoarthritis pain for many people in the future. It's about finding natural ways your body responds to diet and exercise to feel better.

Key takeaways

This study explores how fibre and exercise affect knee pain in osteoarthritis.
It investigates the link between gut bacteria, natural body chemicals, and pain relief.
Participation involves two visits over six weeks and following a randomly assigned plan.
Your contribution helps improve future treatments for knee pain.
Risks are minimal, including mild discomfort from blood sampling or temporary gut changes from fibre.

Who may be eligible?

You might be able to take part if you are over 18 and have had knee pain for more than three months, and a doctor has told you it's due to osteoarthritis. You also need to be able to understand the study and agree to take part, and your Body Mass Index (BMI) should be between 20 and 39.9.

However, there are some reasons why you wouldn't be able to join. For example, if you have certain gut conditions like IBS or coeliac disease, or if you're taking specific medications like immunosuppressants or blood thinners. You also can't take part if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, have serious mental health conditions, certain nerve problems like epilepsy or diabetes, or if you're on a weight-loss programme. This study isn't for people who have had a full knee replacement or have other types of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis, as the focus is specifically on knee osteoarthritis.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Do you have knee pain most days for over 3 months, diagnosed as osteoarthritis?
Are you over 18 years old?
Is your Body Mass Index (BMI) between 20 and 39.9?
Are you able to agree to take part and understand what is involved?
Do you *not* have conditions like severe IBS, diabetes, or epilepsy?
Are you *not* taking immunosuppressants or blood thinners?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you decide to take part, you'll visit the Clinical Sciences Building at City Hospital, Nottingham, twice. The first visit will be at the start of the study, and the second will be after six weeks. At these visits, we'll take some blood and stool (poo) samples, measure things like your height and weight, and ask you to fill out some questionnaires about your health and pain. You'll then be randomly placed into one of four groups: one group will take a fibre supplement, another will follow an exercise programme, a third will do both, and the fourth will receive a placebo (a dummy treatment). You will follow your assigned plan for six weeks. The total time you're involved in the study from your first visit to your last is six weeks.

Potential risks and benefits

While taking part might not directly ease your knee pain during the study, your contribution is really valuable. It will help researchers learn more about how diet and exercise affect knee pain in people with osteoarthritis, potentially leading to better treatments for everyone in the future. The risks are very low; you might feel a brief sting or mild discomfort when we take blood. The fibre supplement, like any fibre, could cause some bloating or constipation, but this often gets better if you drink plenty of water. The exercise programme is safe and gentle, but you might feel a little muscle soreness, which is common with any new exercise. Remember, you can choose to leave the study at any time, for any reason.

Locations (1)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - City Campus
City only
Nottingham, England

Common questions

What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a common condition that causes joints to become painful and stiff. It's often called 'wear and tear' of the joint cushion.

What is a 'fibre supplement'?

A fibre supplement is a product, often in powder or tablet form, that adds extra dietary fibre to your diet, usually from plants.

What does 'randomly assigned' mean?

It means you'll be put into a study group by chance, like flipping a coin. This ensures the study is fair and unbiased.

What is a placebo?

A placebo is a 'dummy' treatment that looks just like the real thing but has no active ingredients. It helps us see if the real treatment has an actual effect beyond just expecting to feel better.

Do I need to be fit to do the exercise part?

No, the exercise programme is designed to be gentle and suitable for people with knee pain, and it's supervised by physiotherapists.

How to find out more

Afroditi Kouraki

afroditi.kouraki1@nottingham.ac.uk +44 115 8231676 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.