Exercise Is Best Practice For Managing Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)
What is OA?
• Osteoarthritis is a “progressive disease of the whole joint that leads to breakdown of joint cartilage and the underlying bone"1
• OA affects more than 4 million Canadians1
• OA commonly occurs in the knees, hips, and hands
• Some common signs & symptoms to recognize: joint pain, joint stiffness, joint
swelling, joint crepitus (noises), joint instability (feeling like the joint may give out)1
• Cardinal symptoms of knee & hip OA: joint pain and functional disability2
Treatment Options
• Pharmaceutical & surgical interventions, exercise, weight loss, education, braces & orthotics, behaviour modification, seeking help from a medical team (physiotherapist, chiropractor, family Dr, surgeon, dietician, occupational therapist, etc)
• There are a lot of treatment options that are available however, “exercise therapy is the most important non-surgical treatment of hip & knee OA”3, 4
Exercise therapy as first-line treatment...what the evidence says:
• Pain and physical function improved significantly following supervised exercise intervention3
• Exercise therapy appears more effective and safer for pain relief vs pharmacological pain relievers2
• Exercise is best practice irrespective of severity of OA, pain intensity, levels of
function and other co-morbidities5
• Therapeutic exercise is safe and effective for people with advanced hip and knee OA 5
Why is it important to involve a physiotherapist or chiropractor in your care?
• Education: a physiotherapist/chiropractor can help inform you about OA, it’s risk factors, disease progression, treatment options, pain management, modifiable behaviors, and most importantly we can help debunk some popular misconceptions about OA...
A physiotherapist or chiropractor can prescribe therapeutic exercise...
• We know from evidence that therapeutic exercise is beneficial and safe for people with OA however exercise prescription is not a one-size fits all approach
➡ seeking the expertise of a physiotherapist/chiropractor will ensure you have
an exercise program that is tailored to you
• Therapeutic exercise is a complex, multi-faceted intervention5
➡ this means that your therapist will take a lot of variables into consideration
when prescribing you a home exercise program
➡ It is important for therapists to consider: individualization, dose, progression,
accessibility, preference, etc.
• Supervision (particularly in initial stages of an exercise program) can help promote safe and correct exercise technique5
➡ Initially completing your exercises with the guidance of your therapist will
ensure you are using a correct, safe technique
➡ This also gives you the opportunity to ask any questions about the exercises
as you do them
• Patient education combined with follow-up sessions may be the key to increasing self-efficacy & for retaining motivation and adherence to a home exercise program4
Although knee osteoarthritis is a disease characterized by its progressive, degenerative nature, it is a disease that can be managed effectively through exercise. It is the role of a physiotherapist or chiropractor to help you learn about your osteoarthritis as well as design you a progressive, tailored therapeutic exercise program.
Rachel is a physiotherapist with a special interest in sports and exercise injuries and rehabilitation. She would be happy to help if you are suffering from osteoarthritis or any other ailments.
