Sport Aberdeen is delighted to be named February’s site of the month for its successful implementation of the ESCAPE-pain hip and knee course.

ESCAPE-pain is a group rehabilitation programme for people with chronic joint pain – it integrates educational self-management and coping strategies with an exercise schedule.

Previously the programme was delivered by NHS physiotherapy outpatient departments, and this innovative new approach by Sport Aberdeen means it can be delivered by exercise professionals at its venues.   

Funding was received from NHS Grampian Charities to deliver the programme, aimed at individuals who are aged 45 years and over who are living with chronic knee and/or hip pain due to osteoarthritis.   

The programme runs with a group of participants for six weeks, with two sessions per week, and the first block was delivered by Health and Wellness Advisor Bill Loxton at Get active @ Northfield. Further blocks of the programme have been delivered at Get active @ Kincorth and Get active @ Northfield, with a new block starting this week.

The sessions last for 1 hour, consisting of an exercise section specifically designed to help participant’s knees and hips, then an education section focusing on advice for self-management.

Bill Loxton, Health and Wellness Advisor at Sport Aberdeen, said: “The ESCAPE-pain programme is very good and at the moment we aren’t charging for it – it’s excellent value.

“The programme is evidence-based, proving that through progressive exercise, people are taking less medication to cope with pain.

“The participants do the same exercises every week and we work closely with them so that hopefully they’ll get fitter and stronger and be suffering from less pain.

“The novel thing about Sport Aberdeen delivering this programme is that participants come away with stories and experiences that they can compare. There’s definitely a lot of peer support and the classes involve a lot of discussions.”

Lee Hood, Health and Wellness Advisor at Sport Aberdeen, said: “We were finding that the people attending had a fear that keeping active would make their condition worse, so it’s our job to remind them that as long as the exercises are done correctly, it will be beneficial and helpful.

“We try to change their perception – with the ESCAPE-pain programme, we have been able to prove to people that exercise makes their condition better.

“By delivering these sessions within our local fitness venues, it means that more people living with chronic pain can access them.”

A 67-year-old ESCAPE-pain participant, Pauline, said: “I found the ESCAPE-pain classes very helpful. Lee was a great coach, apart from showing us how to do all the exercises he gave us some excellent information on how to keep active. It was also great to be able to speak to some other participants who were experiencing the same problems.

“I would definitely recommend the programme to others.

“I am now doing the exercises at home and have been doing them in blocks of approximately 20 minutes on most days.”

Referrals to the ESCAPE-pain programme can be made from a GP, health professional or a self-referral through Sport Aberdeen’s website here.