BMJ Study Finds Aerobic Exercise Best Eases Knee Osteoarthritis Pain in 15,684 Patients
Updated
Updated · Good Housekeeping · May 18
BMJ Study Finds Aerobic Exercise Best Eases Knee Osteoarthritis Pain in 15,684 Patients
6 articles · Updated · Good Housekeeping · May 18
More than 15,000 people with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis were analyzed in a BMJ systematic review and meta-analysis, which found aerobic exercise ranked highest for reducing pain and improving gait, function and quality of life.
Over 200 randomized controlled trials from 1990 to 2024 compared six exercise types at four-, 12- and 24-week follow-ups, with aerobic exercise delivering the most consistent gains across all measures.
Other movement types still helped: mind-body, neuromotor, strengthening and mixed programs were beneficial, while flexibility showed strong long-term pain improvement.
Physical therapists said the findings sharpen exercise guidance but do not make treatment one-size-fits-all, urging patients to start gradually and tailor plans around injuries, surgery history or cardiovascular limits.
Nearly 30% of people over 45 are affected by knee osteoarthritis, though experts said longer-term research is still needed because many individual trials were small and the condition is chronic and progressive.
Aerobic exercise beats strengthening for knee pain, but can you safely do one without the other?
As new therapies aim to regrow cartilage, will exercise still be the top treatment for knee pain?
If aerobic exercise is best for knee pain, how does it stop the bones from actually grinding together?