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People with short symptom duration of knee osteoarthritis benefit more from exercise

Our take

Does starting exercise early in knee osteoarthritis lead to better results?

People who start exercise soon after knee osteoarthritis symptoms begin improve more than those who wait, so earlier referral genuinely pays off.

SupportsRead paper
Primary studyModerate evidence

Key points

  1. Shorter symptom duration predicted larger gains in pain and function.
  2. Supports getting people moving early rather than after years of decline.
  3. A reason to refer to exercise therapy promptly, not as a last resort.

Source

doi:10.1016/j.joca.2024.07.007

Read the original paper
Clinically assessing this area? See the knee special tests.

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