Bones & Joints

1. Bones & Jointswell supported · human dataAdded 8 August 2026

   For knee osteoarthritis pain, non-weight-bearing strength work led the field

   In a meta-analysis of eight randomised trials, short-term exercise produced a large reduction in knee osteoarthritis pain overall (SMD -0.94), and non-weight-bearing strengthening had the biggest effect (-1.42) compared with weight-bearing strengthening (-0.70) and aerobic exercise (-0.45).

   ⚠What it shows: Pooled data from only eight randomised trials, all using programmes of more than three sessions a week for up to eight weeks, so this speaks to short-term pain relief only; the subgroup comparison is indirect and the review dates from 2013.Meta-analysis · Clin Rehabil

   Full breakdown →Efficacy of strengthening or aerobic exercise on pain relief in people with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Rehabil 2013
2. Bones & Jointswell supported · human dataAdded 8 August 2026

   For chronic back pain, only movement held up long term

   A systematic review of 85 studies on chronic non-specific low back pain found that only movement therapy showed evidence of long-term effectiveness. Bed rest, TENS, massage, spine supports, back schools and antidepressants showed no evident effectiveness, while injections, NSAIDs, heat and opioids helped only in the short term.

   ⚠What it shows: Review of German and English literature from 2004 to 2015; therapies were assessed as broad categories, 'long term' meant beyond 6 weeks, and the evidence base is now around a decade old.Meta-analysis · Orthopade

   Full breakdown →[Conservative treatment of nonspecific, chronic low back pain : Evidence of the efficacy - a systematic literature review]. Orthopade 2016
3. Bones & Jointspreliminary · human dataAdded 8 August 2026

   Cognitive functional therapy may not beat manual therapy for back pain

   Pooling five randomised trials (n = 507), cognitive functional therapy may be no more effective than manual therapy plus core exercises for reducing pain and disability in chronic low back pain, with the pooled estimates so imprecise that the certainty of evidence was rated very low. No adverse events were reported.

   ⚠What it shows: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 identified trials, of which only 5 provided data (n = 507; 262 cognitive functional therapy, 245 control); all studies were judged at high risk of bias, confidence intervals were extremely wide, and 9 trials were still ongoing.Meta-analysis · J Orthop Sports Phys Ther

   Full breakdown →Effectiveness of Cognitive Functional Therapy for Reducing Pain and Disability in Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2023
4. Bones & Jointspreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Supplements trail the drug for knee arthritis pain

   In a network meta-analysis of 23 randomised trials in knee osteoarthritis, celecoxib ranked highest for pain on the visual analogue scale (mean difference -0.48, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.17) and for WOMAC total score, followed by glucosamine/chondroitin; krill oil ranked top on the WOMAC pain subscale, while probiotics and metformin had the most favourable safety rankings. Certainty for most of these adjuvant comparisons was low or very low.

   ⚠What it shows: Network meta-analysis of 23 RCTs with no direct head-to-head trials between the adjuvant options; GRADE certainty for most supplement comparisons was low or very low, mainly from severe imprecision, so the rankings are provisional rather than a league table.Systematic review · Front Med (Lausanne)

   Full breakdown →Network meta-analysis of metformin, probiotics, krill oil, celecoxib, and glucosamine/chondroitin in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Front Med (Lausanne) 2026
5. Bones & Jointspreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Back pain adherence coaching: small gains, unclear why

   In a meta-analysis of 14 randomised trials covering 1,233 adults with non-specific low back pain, strategies bolted onto exercise programmes to improve adherence showed no clear effect on adherence itself, yet pain and function improved slightly in the medium term on moderate-certainty evidence.

   ⚠What it shows: Fourteen randomised trials, 1,233 adults with non-specific low back pain; risk of bias was low in only six trials, adherence was measured inconsistently (device data in three trials, questionnaires in four), and certainty ranged from moderate to very low.Review · Musculoskelet Sci Pract

   Full breakdown →Do adherence-focused interventions in low back pain have an impact on rehabilitation outcomes? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Musculoskelet Sci Pract 2026
6. Bones & Jointswell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   For arthritic knees, strengthening beats balance work

   In a systematic review of ten moderate-to-high quality trials in knee osteoarthritis, quadriceps strengthening reduced pain and improved function, and outperformed proprioceptive training. No one strengthening method beat the others.

   ⚠What it shows: Systematic review of ten trials selected from 1,128 records, synthesised narratively rather than pooled statistically; exercise protocols, comparators and add-on treatments varied widely, and all participants had diagnosed knee osteoarthritis rather than healthy knees.Systematic review · Rheumatol Int

   Full breakdown →Strengthening the quadriceps femoris muscle versus other knee training programs for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Rheumatol Int 2019
7. Bones & Jointspreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Pain does not track knee load, review finds

   Pooling 183 studies of people with knee osteoarthritis, walking produced the greatest knee loading and stair ascent the most pain, while sit-to-stand was lowest on both; during walking, higher knee loading was correlated with less pain (r = -0.507).

   ⚠What it shows: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 183 studies, but the loading differences across activities were mostly non-significant apart from sit-to-stand, the populations and methods were highly heterogeneous, and many studies measured only one activity: usually walking. The loading-pain correlation is cross-study association, not cause.Meta-analysis · Clin Biomech (Bristol)

   Full breakdown →Knee loading and joint pain during daily activities in people with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Biomech (Bristol) 2025
8. Bones & Jointswell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Walking and tai chi ease knee osteoarthritis pain

   A meta-analysis of 24 studies (1,972 participants, 71.46% female) found that low-intensity physical activity, Baduanjin, tai chi, walking and general activity, significantly reduced knee osteoarthritis pain (d = -0.65) and stiffness (d = -0.71) and improved physical function (d = -0.58) in middle-aged and older adults.

   ⚠What it shows: Pooled from 24 trials of mixed quality (assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool) in middle-aged and older adults with knee osteoarthritis, mostly women; exercise trials cannot blind participants, so effect sizes for self-reported pain may be flattered, and the review does not establish which modality is best.Meta-analysis · J Aging Phys Act

   Full breakdown →A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Asian Exercise Techniques and Various Physical Activity Interventions in Middle and Late Adulthood Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis. J Aging Phys Act 2025

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