Associate Professor of Anatomy Barry University Miami, Florida, United States
Objectives: To determine whether virtual physical therapy (VPT) combined with a standard home exercise program improves pain, running form, and functional performance more than a standard home exercise program alone in individuals with chronic lower body running-related injuries.
Design: A randomized, parallel-group feasibility trial was conducted from October 2023 to September 2024. Participants (N=11) aged 18-65 were randomly assigned to a VPT group or a control group (standard home exercise). The VPT group received weekly virtual therapy sessions for one month plus the standard exercise program. Assessments of pain, functional capacity (markerless motion assessment for squat, single leg balance, and hopping) and 3D motion capture of running gait were performed at baseline, one month, and six months.
Results: Repeated measures analysis revealed significant interaction effects between group and time for center of mass sway in stork balance test, with the VPT group showing a significant improvement compared to the control group at one month (p = 0.045) and 6 months (p = 0.012). Although no significant main effects were observed for pain scores, functional outcomes, and gait measures overall, the VPT group demonstrated a greater relative change over time. ANOVA results further indicated that differences in running history and frequency, as well as age and height influenced the outcomes, with specific improvements observed in the VPT group.
Conclusions: The integration of virtual physical therapy with a standard home exercise program demonstrated differential impacts over time compared to the standard program alone. While no significant overall main effects were found, VPT may offer context specific advantages. Future research should refine the intervention and explore how individual characteristics affect rehabilitation outcomes.
