Remote Step Rate and Load Based Interventions in Runners With Patellofemoral Pain (NCT07535866) | Clinical Trial Compass
CompletedNot Applicable
Remote Step Rate and Load Based Interventions in Runners With Patellofemoral Pain
United Kingdom52 participantsStarted 2025-03-03
Plain-language summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to explore two remote running programs in runners with patellofemoral pain. One program asks runners to increase their step rate and reduce their training load, while the other asks runners to only reduce their training load. The study will compare these two programs with a control group who continue running as usual. It will also examine whether changes in running load and psychosocial factors are related to changes in pain and function.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Can these remote running programs reduce knee pain and improve function in runners with patellofemoral pain compared to the control group?
* Is reducing training load plus increasing step rate more effective than reducing training load alone?
* Are changes in running load, step rate, psychological and social factors related to improvements in pain and function? Researchers will compare a step rate increase plus load reduction group, a load reduction only group, and a control group to see which approach leads to the greatest improvements in pain and function.
Participants will:
* Complete online questionnaires about knee pain, knee function, and related psychosocial factors
* Share running load data from their watch using an online platform
* Follow 4 weeks of instructions based on their assigned group
* Complete follow-up surveys 1, 2 and 6 months after the 4-week intervention period.
Who can participate
Age range
18 Years – 45 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion Criteria:
* currently running more than twice a week and ≥ 30 mins in total per week.
* participants were required to have pain behind or adjacent to the patella (of at least 20 out of 100 pain on a 0-100 visual analogue scale from "no pain" to "worst imaginable pain") whilst running.
* participants were required to experience low level pain (at least 20 out of 100 on a visual analogue) during one or more of the following activities: squatting, kneeling, prolonged sitting, walking up or downstairs.
* duration of patellofemoral pain symptoms was required to be 3 months or greater prior to participation.
* participants were required to have a compatible running watch that they were happy to onboard to DashLX to share their running load metrics
* be willing to take part in a study that may ask them to alter their running load.
Exclusion Criteria:
* currently suffering from any lower limb injuries (e.g. to hip, knee, calf, foot etc) or having sustained any such injury in the past 3 months
* currently undergoing any other forms of treatment for the knee pain
* having a neurological impediment affecting gait
* currently pregnant or within 3 months of giving birth
* suffer from any cardiovascular pathology
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
What they're measuring
1
Knee Pain
Timeframe: This was measured at pre-intervention, after week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4 (immediately after the intervention) and at 1-, 2-, 6-months follow up.