After decades of wear and tear, your knees may be aching from arthritis. There are many non-drug treatments on the market, but which work best?

According to a new study, knee braces, water therapy and exercise are the most beneficial.

The researchers say, “They reduce pain and improve mobility without the gastrointestinal or cardiovascular risks linked to common pain medications.”

Using data from 139 clinical trials, they compared 12 different knee arthritis treatments that don’t involve drugs. The trials included more than 9,600 patients, 18 and older, with knee osteoarthritis, which occurs when cartilage breaks down over time and bones start rubbing together.

Knee braces came out on top in most categories, including reducing pain, improving function, and relieving stiffness.

Treatments performed in warm water… known as hydrotherapy... also worked particularly well for easing pain, according to the results.

General exercise was found to consistently improve both pain and physical function, including aerobic, mind-body, strengthening and flexibility exercises.

And while high-intensity laser therapy and shock wave therapy showed some benefits, ultrasound consistently scored lowest in terms of effectiveness in treating knee pain.

The authors say these findings “could reshape clinical guidelines to focus on safer, lower-cost interventions.”

It’s estimated more than 10% of people older than 60 have knee arthritis.

Source: PLOS One

Author Affiliations: First People’s Hospital of Neijiang

The Best Non-Drug Treatments for Knee Arthritis

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