More than a prescription: the need for behavioral theory to guide exercise interventions for osteoarthritis - a narrative review

Key Points

1. Exercise consistency increases if self-efficacy is developed.

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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Exercise as a treatment approach, or “Exercise is Medicine” reflects a global initiative to emphasize the health benefits of regular exercise. The American Academy of Sports Medicine has a global health initiative that aims to make “physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in clinical care, connecting health care with evidence-based activity resources for people everywhere and of all abilities.” (1). The evidence supports exercise as a vital component in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) for short term and long-term improvements if exercise is continued (2,3).

The authors of this narrative review present arguments for promoting exercise through a behavioral approach to encourage long term participation rather than the short-term participation that too often stops when therapy is completed. They highlight two typical programs and contrast them with behavior theory approaches to encourage long term behavioral change to facilitate increased consistency of exercise.

Exercise as a treatment approach, or “Exercise is Medicine” reflects a global initiative to emphasize the health benefits of regular exercise.

When the exercise is pertinent to the priorities and preferences of the person, it is more likely to get done often enough to have a positive effect.

METHODS

This is a narrative review of the literature. The authors chose this to highlight discussion and present a strategy to change current practice and provide recommendations for clinical OA intervention trials.

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