START DATE AND DURATION: October 2020Haemophilia is a disorder affecting one in 10,000 people. It is a condition where the blood does not clot normally, leading to bleeding into muscles and joints. As a result, muscles become weak. Joints become painful and difficult to move. Children are born with it - females carry the disorder and usually males are affected.
With the help of boys with haemophilia, their parents and physiotherapists, the ' Development of a haemophilia physiotherapy intervention' (DOLPHIN) team developed an exercise programme designed to increase muscle strength. In a feasibility study, it was shown that the exercise programme had no harmful effects, was acceptable to children with haemophilia and that they were willing to participate in a study to answer the question, “does muscle strengthening help improve the long-term health of children with haemophilia?”.
The aim of this next phase (DOLPHIN-ll) involves a randomised controlled trial (RCT) is to determine whether a muscle strengthening exercise programme increases muscle strength and affects participation in games and activities, physical function, frequency of bleeding and quality of life in children with haemophilia.
