Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases in the world, especially among older adults.
It happens when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of bones slowly wears away.
As the cartilage breaks down, bones rub against each other, causing pain, stiffness, swelling, and difficulty moving. Many people with osteoarthritis struggle with daily tasks such as walking, climbing stairs, opening jars, or even getting out of a chair.
Because there is no cure, treatment usually focuses on reducing pain and helping people stay active and independent for as long as possible.
For many years, doctors and health organizations have strongly recommended exercise as the first treatment for osteoarthritis. Patients are often told that strengthening muscles and improving flexibility can support the joints and reduce discomfort.
Exercise is also seen as a safe and low-cost option compared with medications or surgery. However, a new large analysis suggests that the pain relief from exercise may be smaller and shorter lasting than previously believed.
The research was published in the journal RMD Open and looked at a wide range of earlier studies on exercise therapy for osteoarthritis. Instead of focusing on a single study, the researchers combined results from many studies to get a clearer overall picture.
This type of research is often called an umbrella review because it gathers evidence from many different sources. In total, the analysis included thousands of patients with osteoarthritis affecting the knee, hip, hand, or ankle.
When the scientists compared exercise with no treatment or placebo treatments, they found that exercise provided only small reductions in pain for knee osteoarthritis. These improvements often did not last long.
In larger studies and those that followed patients over longer periods, the benefits were even smaller. For hip osteoarthritis, the improvements were so small that they were considered almost negligible. For hand osteoarthritis, the effects were also modest.
The researchers also compared exercise with other treatments such as patient education, manual therapy, pain medicines, injections, and certain surgical procedures.
In most cases, exercise performed about the same as these treatments, meaning it was not clearly better or worse. In some specialized groups of patients, surgery that changes the structure of the bone or replaces the joint provided more lasting relief than exercise alone.
The authors noted several reasons why the results may have been unclear. Patients in the studies had different levels of pain and disability, which makes comparisons difficult.
Some studies allowed participants to receive other treatments at the same time as exercise. In addition, many trials did not directly compare exercise with other options in a strict way. All of these factors reduce confidence in the findings.
Despite these limitations, the researchers concluded that exercise may not be as powerful a treatment for osteoarthritis symptoms as many people believe. They suggested that focusing only on exercise as the main first treatment may not be the best approach for every patient. Instead, treatment decisions should consider each person’s needs, preferences, and stage of disease.
Even so, the researchers emphasized that exercise still has many important health benefits. Physical activity can improve heart health, maintain muscle strength, reduce the risk of falls, improve mood, and help control weight.
These benefits are valuable, even if joint pain relief is limited. For some patients, exercise may still be the safest and most practical option, especially when other treatments carry risks or high costs.
In reviewing these findings, it is important to remember that osteoarthritis is a complex condition influenced by age, body weight, genetics, injuries, and lifestyle. No single treatment works for everyone. The study highlights the need for more personalized care and better research into new therapies that can provide lasting relief.
Exercise should probably remain part of treatment plans, but not the only focus. Combining physical activity with other approaches such as weight management, pain management strategies, supportive devices, and medical care may offer better results.
This research encourages doctors and patients to have open conversations about treatment goals and expectations. Rather than assuming exercise alone will solve the problem, it may be more helpful to use a balanced plan tailored to each individual.
In the end, staying active is still important for overall health, but people with osteoarthritis should work with healthcare professionals to find the most effective and realistic way to manage their condition.
If you care about pain, please read studies about vitamin K deficiency linked to hip fractures in old people, and these vitamins could help reduce bone fracture risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that Krill oil could improve muscle health in older people, and eating yogurt linked to lower frailty in older people.
The study is published in RMD Open.
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