Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and longer lifespans, more sedentary habits, and rising rates of obesity are fuelling this increase.
Stiff and swollen joints may seem like an inevitable part of aging, but experts suggest that much of the health care advice people receive about how to cope with the onset of osteoarthritis is getting it all wrong and that many people are missing out on the most powerful treatment of all.
Despite osteoarthritis affecting nearly 600 million people worldwide, and according to recent study published in the The Lancet medical journal this looks to rise to a billion by 2050, the most powerful treatment is being largely overlooked. The answer lies not in a packet of pills or under the surgeon’s knife, it’s in exercise. Mounting evidence suggests that movement, not medication or surgery, is what nourishes cartilage, strengthens muscles, reduces inflammation, and even reshapes the biological processes driving joint damage.
Osteoarthritis may feel like inevitable wear and tear, but science is proving increasingly that movement is one of the most powerful ways to protect and even heal joints that have already started to be affected by osteoarthritis. Yet despite irrefutable evidence that exercise reduces pain and slows the progression of arthritis, many patients are still directed towards medications and surgery before trying this simple, proven therapy.
Stiff knees, sore hips, and persistent joint pain are often brushed off as normal signs of aging and the standard advice is to recommend more rest and less activity along with anti-inflammatory drugs to help preserve joints and bring down inflammation. However, the science finds that the total reverse acheieves this more effectively and fundamentally. Many joint experts now suggest that the biggest gap in effective treatment of arthritis is not a lack of options, but a failure to use the most effective ones. In many healthcare systems, patients are rarely directed initially towards the one therapy proven to reduce pain and protect joints, which is exercise.
Even though exercise is increasingly recognized as one of the most effective treatments for osteoarthritis, studies have revealed that fewer than half of people diagnosed with osteoarthritis are referred to exercise programs or physical therapy by their doctor. More than 60% of people with osteoarthritis receive treatments recommendations that do not include exercise and about 40% are referred to a surgeon before non-surgical options have been properly explored.
To understand why exercise and movement are so effective, it helps to look at how joints actually function and why describing osteoarthritis as wear and tear on joints is misleading. Osteoarthritis is better described as a long process of breakdown and repair.
Regular movement plays a central role in maintaining the repair part of this process and invloves the health of the entire joint which can biologically lower the risk of developing osteoarthritis as well as reduce its severity.
People often describe osteoarthritis as the biological breakdown of cartilage due to age. Cartilage is the smooth tissue that cushions the ends of bones, and it doesn’t have its own blood supply and so relies solely on movement to stay healthy.
When you walk or put weight on a joint, cartilage is gently compressed, pushing fluid out. When the pressure is released, it draws fluid back in, bringing nutrients and natural lubricants with it, which helps nourish and maintain the joint. Therefore, exercise is one of the main elements that maintains cartilage rather than eroding it.
Osteoarthritis does not only affect cartilage, but it also involves the entire joint, including joint fluid, underlying bone, ligaments, surrounding muscles, and even the nerves that control movement, which is why muscle weakness if often cited as one of the early symptoms of osteoarthritis. Weakened muscles increase the risk of both developing osteoarthritis and cause a faster progression of the condition.
Targeted exercise can address many of these components at the same time and in particular resistance training, can actually help reverse symptoms.
Exercise programs, such as Pilates and targeted strength trainingt hat focus on improving movement quality, balance, and core strength are the most effective for preventing and improving osteoarthritis. The goal with improving arthritis pain and improving mobility is to enhance joint stability and re-train weakened muscles to have confidence in movement.
The benefits of exercise for osteoarthritis go far beyond strengthening muscles and supporting cartilage. It also addresses inflammation, metabolic changes, and hormonal shifts such as during menopause for women, that contribute to the disease.
Obesity is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis, and the reason is not only because it adds stress on the joints, but excess body fat is also linked to higher levels of inflammatory molecules in joint tissues, which can damage cartilage and speed up the progression of arthritis.
Regular physical activity helps counter these effects at a molecular level. It can lower inflammatory markers, reduce cell damage, and even influence gene expression in ways that support joint health.
As opposed to painkillers which carry their own risks ad side effects, natural topical treatments that focus on improving lubrication for better joint mobility rather than just bringing down inflammtion can be a really useful tool in helping to make exercise less painful and easier to accomplish. The effect of regular exercise is accumulative, so the more you do the better the effects, which means anything that makes exercise easier and less painful is a huge bonus. Long chain fatty acid formulas, such as Celafen, have been proven to be really effective at improving joint lubrication, reducing morning stiffness and makig it easier to get joints moving.
While exercise can often help prevent or improve the symptoms of arthritis, for some patients the disease does still progress to a point where surgery may become necessary, but it is a major procedure and does not work equally well for everyone.
However, exercise should be the first treatment step and can, in many cases slow down the progression of the disease enough to avoid surgery or at least prolong the time before it becomes necessary, which as was the case for retired nurse, Judith,77, who managed to put-off her scheduled knee surgery after finding a treatment that helped increase her ability to do exercise.
“I had to have a right knee replacement after I developed chronic osteoarthritis from a long nursing career. Luckily, I had the operation just before covid. The other knee was scheduled to be replaced too but due to covid my operation was cancelled,” says Judith.
“I began researching things aside from painkillers I could take to help with the pain and swelling of my left knee in case the surgery was delayed for a long time. I was taking two anti-inflammatory a day which concerned me as it can cause stomach upsets and also has a blood thinning effect if taken too regularly.
“As a nurse I know how bad the side effects of taking painkillers are and so I was very keen to try and find an alternative to manage the pain and swelling in my left knee.
“During my research I discovered that Frankincense was excellent for bringing down the swelling from OA so I started searching for topical creams that contained it. Very quickly I came across Actimas B&C Joint Rub, which contained both Frankincense and Myrrh. I then researched Myrrh and found that also had great results for use on OA swelling and pain and seemed to be exactly what I was looking for.
As soon as I began using the B&C Joint Rub, I noticed the difference. I put in on every night when my knee was sore and stiff and by morning the stiffness had really eased up.
Before discovering this cream, I was finding it hard to walk without pain and I was advised to rest more. I could just about hobble down the end of our road before I had to sit down and my knee was throbbing. After using the B&C Joint Rub for a few weeks I was able to walk about a mile without too much pain, which felt miraculous. I have always been a very active person, and I think not being able to do exercise had really affected me and it seemed to make my knee feel worse. Within weeks of walking every day I felt so much better all round, and after about a month my left knee improved by about 70% and my mobility was much better.
“I was really surprised at the results, which were far better and longer lasting than any painkiller I had taken yet without the worrying side effects. The beneficial effect was also accumulative as my knee felt better and better as the weeks went on.
Due to the vast improvement in my knee pain, I’m not currently looking to book my knee replacement surgery. I know eventually I may have to have the operation but the longer I can put it off the better. I feel for now that if I can exercise daily without much pain then I don’t urgently need to have a knee replacement.
Other than some multivitamins, I don’t use anything else for my knee pain other than the B&C Joint Rub, which has basically got me moving again and is honestly the most impressive product I’ve tried. I recommend it to everyone.”
Osteoarthritis is not simply about worn out joints. It is shaped by muscle strength, inflammation, metabolism, and lifestyle factors. Regular, structured exercise addresses many of these drivers at the same time, helping protect cartilage, support the entire joint, and improve overall health. Before turning to surgery, science is starting to prove that movement is one of the most effective treatments available.
