Help for Sore Knees

When researchers at Brooke Army Medical Center conducted a study involving 69 patients with moderate knee pain caused by, they found that physical therapy significantly reduced pain and even prevented the need for surgery. While half the group received placebo treatment, the other half received hands-on care that included the gentle stretching of tight leg muscles to improve the knees’ range of motion, riding a stationary bike and light strength exercises. After eight visits, the physical therapy group’s pain and stiffness was eased by more than 50%. The placebo group experienced no change. One year later, those in the placebo group were four times more likely to require knee-replacement surgery than those treated with physical therapy. Only 5% of the patients who received physical therapy in the study required knee replacement after one year of treatment.