Increased Duration and Intensity of Physical Activity Are Associated With Increased Pain in Individuals With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.
Madeline Grosklos, Jason Fanning, Gregory Friedberg and 2 others
PMID 38185311WHAT IT FOUND
In young adults with hip impingement, higher average light activity predicted more pain.
Pain also spiked when both light and vigorous activity exceeded a person's usual levels simultaneously. Resting more than usual lowered pain. Total vigorous activity volume did not predict pain.
Key findings
01Individuals who spent more time on average in light physical activity in the 90 minutes prior to a survey reported greater pain.
02Pain increased when both light and vigorous activity fluctuated above a person's average in the preceding 90 minutes, but not when only one type increased.
03Sedentary time above a person's average was associated with decreased pain, while average sedentary time showed no association with pain.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study only examined momentary associations, so it cannot determine if activity causes pain or if pain causes people to move less. Accelerometers could not distinguish between sitting and standing, which may have different pain effects in hip impingement. The participants were young and highly active, so findings may not apply to older or less active individuals with FAIS. The study was exploratory without power calculations, limiting the certainty of the findings.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the finding that average vigorous activity was unrelated to pain as evidence that high-intensity exercise is universally safe for FAIS. The pain spikes occurred when vigorous activity fluctuated above a person's average simultaneously with light activity, and the study only tracked seven days in a highly active cohort.