Managing Knee Osteoarthritis
Posted On: January 15, 2026 by Robert Matijevich
Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) is known as degenerative joint disease and is typically the result of wear and tear with progressive loss of articular cartilage. Osteoarthritis is a progressive and chronic disorder that typically affects the larger joints of the body such as knees, hips, and shoulders. OA can lead to pain and loss of function, but not everyone with radiographic findings of knee OA will be symptomatic. Some studies have shown that only 15% of patients with radiographic findings of knee OA were symptomatic.
Risk factors for developing OA can be both modifiable and non-modifiable. Examples of modifiable risk factors are obesity, muscle weakness, previous knee trauma or surgeries, and occupational stressors. Non-modifiable factors would include gender, family history, and race. OA symptoms will typically show up gradually over the course of months and years. Symptoms can include stiffness (particularly in the mornings), loss of range of motion, joint enlargement, popping or cracking with movement, pain with prolonged sitting, and knee locking or giving way.
Treatment for knee OA begins with conservative methods and progresses to surgical treatment options when conservative treatment fails. The conservative treatment of OA can include interventions such as education, exercise, and weight loss with activity modification, knee bracing, and pharmacological management also being beneficial in the short term. Weight loss is considered valuable in all stages of OA, and research suggests that any amount of weight loss is likely to yield huge benefits. Furthermore, it has been shown that every 1% of weight loss was associated with a 2% reduced risk of knee replacement and a 3% reduced risk of hip replacement.
Physical therapy implements treatment strategies based around education and exercise to help people achieve their pain and lifestyle goals. There is also some evidence that shows manual therapy techniques often utilized in PT decreases pain in the short term which allows individuals to more easily exercise and lose weight.
Surgical management is considered when conservative treatment is no longer effective and can include arthroscopy and partial or total joint replacement. Communicating with your healthcare provider can help you decide which treatment options are appropriate and ways to manage this progressive condition.
