SadaNews – The website “Abonit.de” reported that individuals suffering from knee osteoarthritis often experience pain, limited movement, as well as swelling and a grinding sound, noting that exercise can significantly alleviate symptoms.
The site, which serves as the official portal for German pharmacists, added that a new analysis of international studies shows that endurance sports such as walking, swimming, and cycling are not only safe but also the most effective in relieving pain.
Broad Review
A research team confirmed this through a broad review; researchers analyzed 217 studies published between 1990 and 2024, involving over 15,000 affected individuals, and identified a variety of sports treatments, namely:
– Endurance training (aerobic training).
– Flexibility training.
– Muscle strengthening training.
– Neuromuscular exercises to improve coordination and balance.
– Mixed training.
The team examined the extent of improvement in pain, joint function, walking performance, and quality of life. Participants’ conditions were assessed after 4 weeks (short-term effects), 12 weeks (medium-term effects), and 24 weeks (long-term effects).
Analysis Results
The analysis yielded the following results:
– Endurance sports such as walking, swimming, and cycling had a positive impact on pain, walking performance, and quality of life even in the short term, followed by an improvement in joint function.
– Muscle strengthening training and their combination: both had a positive effect on joint function in the medium term.
– Neuromuscular exercises: showed improvement in walking performance in the short term.
Safety was also addressed; one analysis confirmed the good safety profile of exercise therapy, with no increase in side effects compared to the control group.
It is worth noting that knee osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disease that occurs due to wear and tear in the knee joint.