Three steps to changing the narrative about knee osteoarthritis care: a call to action

Review written by Dr Anthony Teoli info

Key Points

  1. It is time to change the message: knee osteoarthritis-related pain is not necessarily due to damaged structures within the knee.
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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Symptoms associated with knee osteoarthritis are commonly believed to be due to structural damage. This reinforces the belief that non-surgical approaches are futile, as they cannot “repair” or “regenerate” the cartilage. These beliefs are common in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (1,2). However, these misconceptions are not consistent with best practice recommendations for individuals with knee osteoarthritis (3). This is concerning, given patient beliefs have been shown to influence willingness to accept non-surgical treatments such as exercise and weight loss (1). Furthermore, patient self-efficacy and perception of their knee osteoarthritis can influence treatment outcome and future disability (4).

Patient beliefs about knee osteoarthritis have been shown to influence willingness to accept non-surgical treatments such as exercise and weight loss.
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Physiotherapists have a crucial role to play in educating patients with knee osteoarthritis.

METHODS

The authors of this paper submitted an editorial as a call to action. The purpose of an editorial is to provide a novel perspective on a clinically relevant issue.

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