Does regular exercise reduce the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis?

J Fam Pract. 2008 Jul;57(7):476-7.

Abstract

Exercise helps reduce the pain, but it's unclear whether it helps with stiffness. Exercise moderately reduces pain in elderly patients with osteoarthritis and has a small effect on reducing self-reported disability. No studies have evaluated the effect of exercise on stiffness.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Arthralgia / therapy
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Exercise Therapy / methods*
  • Exercise*
  • Humans
  • Osteoarthritis / therapy*
  • Osteoarthritis, Hip / therapy
  • Osteoarthritis, Knee / therapy
  • Pain Measurement
  • Patient Education as Topic*
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic