Exercise Therapy for Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis: Is There An Ideal Prescription?

Abstract

Purpose of review Exercise therapy is the first line treatment for patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) but is consistently underutilized. In this review, we aim to provide health care professionals with an overview of the latest evidence in the areas of exercise therapy for OA, which can serve as a guide for incorporating the ideal exercise therapy prescription in the overall management plan for their patients with OA. Recent findings Evidence continues to be produced supporting the use of exercise therapy for all patients with knee or hip OA. Ample evidence exists suggesting exercise therapy is a safe form of treatment, for both joint structures and the patient overall. Several systematic reviews show that exercise therapy is likely to improve patient outcomes, regardless of disease severity or comorbidities. However, no single type of exercise therapy is superior to others. Summary Health care practitioners and patients should be encouraged to incorporate exercise therapy into treatment plans and can be assured of the safety profile and likelihood of improvement in important patient outcomes. Since no single exercise therapy program shows vastly superior benefit, patient preference and contextual factors should be central to the shared decision-making process when selecting and individualising appropriate exercise therapy prescriptions.

Are the Effects of Resistance Exercise on Pain and Function in Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis Dependent on Exercise Volume, Duration, and Adherence? A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

“…Previous work, including a narrative review and systematic review of 12 studies on knee OA, suggested that there is no optimal exercise dose for improving pain and function in OA. 24,42 Findings from the current comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis suggest total exercise volume is not related to improvements in pain in knee OA. Indeed, this finding appears consistent with recent publications questioning the efficacy of exercise trials in OA and, more specifically, the potentially greater influence of contextual factors (eg, placebo effects) on observed improvements after exercise trials over the specific effects of the exercise intervention.…”

The emerging role of lncRNAs in osteoarthritis development and potential therapy

“…Joint replacement could be a useful approach for severe osteoarthritis patients (Postler et al, 2023). A healthy weight, regular exercise, and using protective techniques to protect joints can prevent and retard osteoarthritis development and progression (Mo et al, 2023;Young et al, 2023).…”