Physiotherapy that encourages gentle exercise is better than surgery for patients with degenerative osteoarthritis of the knees, according to new research.
A panel of experts in surgery, physiotherapy and clinical practice worked together to make the judgement that knee surgery is not necessarily the best option for reducing pain and improving movement in patients with the condition over the long term. Instead, gentle exercise, as advised by a physiotherapist, may be a better option.
Professor Mark Wilkinson, a spokesman for Arthritis Research UK, commented: “Previous studies have shown that knee arthroscopy is not recommended for the symptoms of pain and loss of function for people with degenerative knee arthritis …Anyone with pain and loss of function in their knee joints will find benefit from lifestyle modification, exercise, physiotherapy, suitable pain medication or joint replacement when non-surgical treatment becomes no longer effective.”
