Nearly 10,000 patients reveal what works best for knee arthritis pain relief — SkimNews
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- A PLOS One network meta-analysis of 139 randomized clinical trials covering nearly 10,000 patients compared 12 non-drug therapies for knee osteoarthritis, including laser therapy, electrical stimulation, knee braces, insoles, kinesiology tape, water-based therapy, exercise, and ultrasound.
- Knee braces ranked highest overall across pain reduction, stiffness relief, and physical function improvements.
- Hydrotherapy (water-based exercise) was especially effective for reducing pain, while regular exercise consistently improved both pain and physical function.
- High-intensity laser therapy and shock wave therapy showed promise in certain areas, but ultrasound repeatedly ranked near the bottom of the comparisons.
- Yuan Luo of the First People's Hospital of Neijiang, China led the study, co-authored with Xiao Chen, Yuanhe Fan, and Hongliang Tu.
- The researchers cautioned that the 139 trials differed in design, with some involving small participant groups and varying treatment durations, making the rankings not definitive.
- The authors concluded these therapies offer safer alternatives to anti-inflammatory medications, which carry gastrointestinal and cardiovascular risks, and called for combining treatments and cost-effectiveness analysis in future research.
Why it matters: For the millions of older adults with knee osteoarthritis, the findings point toward evidence-based, lower-cost, drug-free options like knee braces and water therapy as first-line alternatives to anti-inflammatory medications — drugs that carry gastrointestinal and cardiovascular risks. If clinical guidelines shift toward these accessible therapies, it could redirect prescribing patterns and reduce reliance on pharmacological pain management.
Ask SkimNews
