Diet and exercise 'can help prevent knee pain in overweight people'

Overweight adults at high risk of suffering knee pain can potentially prevent this from happening by committing to more physical exercise and a better diet.

The US-based study, led by the University of Delaware and Boston University, aimed to determine whether an intensive programme of weight loss, combined with exercise, can be an effective means of preventing the onset of knee pain.

To investigate this, an intensive lifestyle intervention was prescribed to a group of overweight adults with diabetes in order to monitor its impact compared to standard diabetes support and education.

A total of 2,889 subjects were involved in the research, all of whom reported no knee pain at baseline but were at high risk due to obesity. Risk ratios were calculated to examine knee pain trends after one year and then again at four years.

According to results published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research, the intensive lifestyle intervention group were 15% less likely to develop knee after one year. However, it was also noted that at year four, this difference decreased to 5% and was no longer statistically significant, suggesting this intervention is more effective as a short-term measure.

The researchers concluded: "An intensive lifestyle intervention of diet and exercise may prevent the development of knee pain among those at high risk in the short term. Healthcare providers may consider recommending diet and exercise as a means to prevent the development of knee pain among those at high risk."

A spokeswoman for Arthritis Research UK said: "We encourage physical activity, particularly non-weight-bearing exercise such as cycling and swimming, in people with knee pain and osteoarthritis of the knee, as it's proven to help reduce pain and stiffness.

"Specifically, exercises to strengthen the quadriceps (thigh) muscle, which supports the knee, is particularly important. Losing weight has also shown to be extremely effective in relieving the pain of knee osteoarthritis, a condition that affects more than 6 million people in the UK."

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