A study found that wearing a knee brace (support) or exercising in water is effective when suffering from knee osteoarthritis. Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease where joint cartilage wears away. It causes pain when going up and down stairs and may result in fluid buildup in the knee.
A research team led by rehabilitation professor Yuan Luo at the First Affiliated Hospital of China People's Liberation Army said, "The most recommended treatment for knee osteoarthritis is a knee brace," adding, "Water therapy is the next recommendation," on the 19th. The study's results were published that day in the international academic journal PLoS ONE.
Patients with degenerative arthritis typically take pain relievers or anti-inflammatory medications. However, such drugs can cause gastrointestinal or cardiovascular side effects. The research team investigated 9,644 individuals diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis. They compared patients who received 12 types of physical treatments or medications, including knee braces, water therapy, exercise, high-intensity laser therapy, insoles, and extracorporeal shock wave therapy. The physical therapy and medication groups were chosen randomly.
The study results showed that knee braces are the most effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Knee braces restricted excessive movement of the knee, allowing for stable walking. They dispersed weight to reduce the shock on the cartilage and supported surrounding muscles, alleviating muscle fatigue.
Water therapy was the next most effective treatment. Exercising in water placed less stress on the joints compared to walking on land. A water temperature of 33.5 to 35.5 degrees Celsius was the optimal environment for comfortable exercise. The deeper the water, the greater the buoyancy, which reduced joint burden and alleviated pain.
Land exercise and high-intensity laser therapy were also effective. Land exercise improved strength and flexibility. In contrast, insoles did not sufficiently relieve knee pain. The research team noted, "The sample size is small, and we should also evaluate the medical costs for treating knee osteoarthritis going forward."
References
PLoS ONE (2025), DOI : https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324864