Key messages from scientific research that's ready to be acted on
Got It, Hide thisFransen M, McConnell S, Harmer AR, et al. Exercise for osteoarthritis of the knee. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;1:CD004376.
In people who have knee osteoarthritis, do therapeutic exercise programs done on land reduce pain or improve physical functioning or quality of life?
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is a disease of the joints and often occurs in knees. It develops when your joints lose the cartilage that protects the ends of your bones. There is no cure, and it often gets worse over time. People with osteoarthritis can have pain, tenderness, joint stiffness, and worsening physical functioning.
There are various treatments for the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. This review is about therapeutic exercise programs, which use physical activities to achieve specific aims (e.g., strengthen muscles, improve how well a joint moves).
The researchers did a systematic review, searching for studies that were published in English up to May 2013.
They found 54 randomized or nonrandomized controlled trials with 6,345 people (mean age 53 to 75 years, 42% to 100% women).
The key features of the trials were:
Compared with no exercise program, land-based therapeutic exercise programs:
In people who have knee osteoarthritis, therapeutic exercise programs done on land reduce pain and improve physical functioning up to 6 months after the end of the program.
Outcomes | When outcomes were assessed | Number of trials (and people) | Effects of exercise |
Pain | Immediately after exercise program | 44 trials (3,537 people) | Equal to about a 12-point improvement out of 100 (from as few as 10 to as many as 15 points). For every 4 people taking part in an exercise program, 1 additional person will have less pain (for as few as 3 to as many as 5 people taking part in an exercise program). |
| 2 to 6 months after exercise program | 12 trials (1,468 people) | Equal to about a 6-point improvement out of 100 (from as few as 3 to as many as 9 points) |
| More than 6 months after exercise program | 8 trials (1,272 people) | Equal to about a 13-point improvement out of 100 (from as few as 1 to as many as 25 points)* |
Physical functioning | Immediately after exercise program | 44 trials (3,913 people) | Equal to about a 10-point improvement out of 100 (from as few as 8 to as many as 13 points). For every 4 people taking part in an exercise program, 1 additional person will have improved physical functioning (for as few as 3 to as many as 5 people taking part in an exercise program). |
| 2 to 6 months after exercise program | 10 trials (1,279 people) | Equal to about a 3-point improvement out of 100 (from as few as 1 to as many as 5 points) |
| More than 6 months after exercise program | 8 trials (1,266 people) | Equal to about an 11-point improvement out of 100 (from as few as 2 to as many as 21 points)* |
Quality of life | Immediately after exercise program | 13 trials (1,073 people) | Equal to about a 4-point improvement out of 100 (from as few as 2 to as many as 5 points). For every 8 people taking part in an exercise program, 1 additional person will have improved quality of life (for as few as 5 to as many as 14 people taking part in an exercise program) |