Treating knee pain in older adults
Take Home Messages:
Practitioners treating older adults for knee pain (often associated with knee osteoarthritis or OA) underutilise core treatments such as education, exercise and weight loss.
There is an early reliance on medication in initial treatment choices and surgery is commonly advised before other options have been tried.
Self care plays an important role in the management of this condition, so it is very important that patients be advised of the most effective ways to reduce the impact of knee OA.
Why the study matters:
Knee pain is a common condition, particularly osteoarthritis of the knee in those over 40. If it is of sufficient frequency and severity the problem can reduce quality of life. Current guidelines recommend initial treatment includes:
- Education (written information);
- Exercise; and
- Weight loss.
However, it is unclear whether current treatment practice reflects these guidelines. This study asks about current treatment practice.
What the study involved:
The researchers interviewed 201 adults with knee pain. Questions were asked regarding:
- Nature of pain;
- Occurrence and duration of pain; and
- Interventions recommended.
Summary of study findings:
The study found that:
- Most advised treatment was heat and ice;
- 50% of people initiated treatment themselves;
- Referral to surgery often occurred before other treatment options were exhausted; and
- Health professions tend to advise medication before initial recommended treatment.
Interventions such as education, exercise and weight loss are being underused. Self care played an important role with a half of people initiating treatment themselves.
Original research:
Primary care treatment of knee pain – a survey in older adults
Porcheret M, Jordan K, Jinks C, Croft P; Primary Care Rheumatology Society.
Rheumatology (Oxford). 2007 Nov;46(11):1694-700. Epub 2007 Oct 15.