"It's just like a needle going into my hip, basically all of the time". The experiences and perceptions of patients with Greater Trochanteric Pain syndrome in the UK National Health Service.

BACKGROUND: Greater Trochanteric Pain syndrome (GTPS) is a condition causing lateral hip pain, which can be both persistent and debilitating. Data suggests that NHS patients with GTPS often have complex presentations with greater risk of developing persistent pain. No research to date has looked to understand the lived experience of patients with GTPS. OBJECTIVES: This data may help inform a programme of intervention development for testing in a future randomised controlled trial. Hence, this qualitative study aimed to provide insight into the experiences and perceptions of patients suffering with GTPS. DESIGN: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. METHODS: Ten patients diagnosed with GTPS in consultant-led clinic at one NHS Hospital. Patients were identified from the physiotherapy waiting list and approached via a postal letter. Once informed consent was gained, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the Framework Method. RESULTS: Data were analysed with reference to five pre-determined themes (1) living with persistent pain; (2) understanding the problem and pain; (3) experiences of previous treatment; (4) beliefs about activity and exercise; (5) the future. CONCLUSION: The participants with GTPS, interviewed in this study commonly suffered from debilitating pain, affecting them during activity and at rest. They were confused about the diagnoses they were given and the meaning of their pain in relation to activity. Furthermore, participants were often either uncertain or pessimistic about their potential to recover. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03720587.

A Narrative Review: The Use of the Topical NSAID Ibuprofen for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis. Supporting Clinician Decision-Making in the First-Line Treatment of Osteoarthritis.

A NARRATIVE REVIEW: The use of the topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) ibuprofen for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Supporting clinician decision-making in the first-line treatment of osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To open discussion at a clinical level on the guidelines for the pharmacological management of osteoarthritis of the knee, this narrative review looks into the use of topical NSAID being a clinically effective, safe, and cost-efficient treatment compared to an oral alternative. BACKGROUND: With the over prescription of NSAIDs in the age of above 65 years, there has been a call for increased restrictions of the sale of oral preparations of NSAIDs. It is our view that there is still a lack of awareness in the benefit of topical NSAIDs to the patient (no evidence of adverse reactions recorded by the Joint Formulary Committee [JFC] to date) as well as provider (topical application is cheaper as a National Health Service [NHS] prescription). METHODS: Key online resources included PubMed, Athens, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and relevant clinical and commissioning guidelines with the final date of data collection in March 2017. We also contacted the manufacturer and license holder directly for further clarification. Randomized, double-blind control studies, commissioned reports, International Guidelines, MEHA Guidelines, and license holder data were included. Where possible studies included had to have fair randomization and adhere to key treatment pathways as highlighted by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and other guidelines. DISCUSSION: Current guidelines advise that patients who seek initial treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee should consider a combination of treatment modalities, including pharmacological therapies, particularly the use of NSAIDs. At a clinical level, a reoccurring issue identified with this advice is the inappropriate use of oral NSAIDs, and the concern that the risks associated with ease of access ("over the counter"), and overuse, may result in systemic adverse events in this cohort of patients. Multiple studies have examined the negative effect of oral NSAIDs and the associated risks of use. We were unable to source studies that showed any adverse systemic events from the use of topical NSAIDs; however, there are good quality trials comparing oral to topical NSAIDs, showing similar levels of efficacy at 6 and 12 weeks. CONCLUSION: Topical NSAIDs provide good levels of pain relief in subjects with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis. There is also evidence for the use of the topical application being a clinically effective, safe, and cost-efficient treatment.

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome in the UK National Health Service: A multicentre service evaluation.

PURPOSE: Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is a debilitating condition causing lateral hip pain. A recent randomized controlled trial (LEAP) demonstrated that exercise interventions for GTPS provided superior outcomes, compared with corticosteroid injection and wait-and-see approaches. However, participants were not patients seeking care and therefore may not have represented the typical patient seen within the National Health Service (NHS). The present service evaluation aimed to provide data on the characteristics of patients with GTPS presenting to NHS physiotherapy services, to enable consideration of the applicability of the findings of the LEAP trial to patients seeking care within the NHS. METHODS: Four NHS sites provided anonymized data on patients presenting to their service with a primary complaint of GTPS. RESULTS: The data from 162 patients suggested that the typical patients presenting to the NHS with GTPS are female (73%), overweight (body mass index 28.5) and experiencing a 12-month or longer history of lateral hip pain (56.8%). Patients reported high levels of pain (visual analogue score 6.5), low health-related quality of life (EuroQol five-dimensions - 5-level score 0.6), coexisting medical conditions (79.0%) and high medication use (82.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients presenting to the NHS with GTPS appear to have multifactorial issues, with high levels of pain and disability, and are often medicated for multiple coexisting conditions. These characteristics differentiate them from patients recruited to the LEAP trial. Hence, it is unclear whether the findings of the LEAP trial are applicable to patients with GTPS who consult physiotherapy services in the NHS. Further research is warranted to evaluate this.