Exercise Alleviates Osteoarthritis

Dutch researchers have found that people affected by knee and hip osteoarthritis who engage in an exercise program devised and/or supervised by a trained physical therapist may experience less pain and improved joint function. Martijn F. Pisters, from The Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, and colleagues assessed 200 men and women, average age 65 years, with osteoarthritis, following them for a five-year period. The team found that adherence to a three-month exercise regimen with a physical therapist yielded a significant decrease in pain as well as increase in physical function of the affected joint.  Noting that: “Better adherence to recommended home exercises as well as being more physically active improves the long-term effectiveness of exercise therapy in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee,” the researchers urge that: “Since exercise adherence declines over time, future research should focus on how exercise behavior can be stimulated and maintained in the long-term.”