Exercise Videos - Perspectives of People Living With Chronic Pain

Exercise videos on the internet are used by millions worldwide to provide structure and motivation. They can guide exercise execution and play a role in helping people to maintain regular exercise.

On completion of the Pain Management Programme (PMP) at the Walton Centre, many patients are measurably more able bodied as a result (or at least part of a result) of regular engagement in exercise. Despite these positive outcomes and the patients stated intent to continue with exercise, many patients are struggling to maintain exercise in a meaningful way when re-assessed at their six month follow up appointment.

Patients have expressed that videos of the exercises would have motivated them to engage in sustained regular exercise in a more meaningful manner.

As physiotherapists, the investigators would like to ask a sample of patients on the PMP whether they anticipate exercise videos, reflecting the exercises practised on the PMP, would be beneficial for them to support maintenance/ sustainability of PMP exercises. Exercises practiced on the PMP include stretches, repeated movements in sitting, standing and lying, Pilates, yoga, normalised/functional movements and patients may like these exercises included in the videos.

The investigators plan to approach this using two focus groups followed by a qualitative analysis of recorded transcripts of the group discussions. Data would be analysed using a thematic analysis to establish key themes related to the research questions. The information gathered will inform the value of and content / format of specifically developed exercise videos.

The outcome of this project will inform the investigators of the use of exercise videos in this patient population and the value of this in encouraging people to keep up exercise over a sustained period. Other centres working with patients with chronic pain may be able to learn valuable lessons from this project in informing their own exercise promotion materials for their patients.