Research
Adherence
Multicomponent non-pharmacological management (combining exercise, education, and weight management) yields larger improvements in pain and function than single interventions for hip and knee osteoarthritis.
For hip or knee osteoarthritis, do not rely on just one treatment. Combine exercise (tailored to your ability), education on self-management, and weight loss support (if needed) into a single plan. This combination works better than any single part alone.
WeakSupportsHIGH confidence
The updated evidence shows that combining treatments leads to larger effects on pain and function compared with providing the treatments separately, thereby providing a rationale for combining different treatment modalities.
Why this rating
Based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs, graded as Level of Evidence 1a.
Source
EULAR recommendations for the non-pharmacological core management of hip and knee osteoarthritis: 2023 update
Tuva Moseng et al. · Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases · 2024
DOI 10.1136/ard-2023-225041
clinical_guidelineCited 265×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Exercise programs (strength, aerobic, flexibility, or neuromotor) of adequate dosage with progression tailored to physical function improve pain and function in hip and knee osteoarthritis.Weak
- Weight loss interventions (diet, multifocused weight loss, or bariatric surgery) reduce pain and disability in knee osteoarthritis, with bariatric surgery being the most effective pain-reducing intervention.Weak
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →