Researchers from Wake Forest University, led by Dr. Stephen Messier, enrolled 454 elderly adults with significant knee pain resulting from osteoarthritis. They were over 55 years old, lived in an elderly community, and all were obese or overweight, with BMIs ranging from 27 to 41. 

The researchers divided the patients into three groups. For 18 months, one group exercised, and another group was given an intensive weight loss diet plan. The third group was given the intensive weight loss diet plus exercise. 

Those given the weight loss diet plus the exercise plan lost an average of 11.4% of their body weight over 23 pounds. The diet group lost 9.5% or about 19-1/2 pounds. The exercise-only group dropped only 2% of their weight about four pounds. 

The weight loss led to a reduction in knee pain and increased knee function for all three groups. Those on the diet plus exercise had significantly less pain than the other two groups though. They also had better knee function and faster walking speed compared to the two other groups. 

To give you an idea of the differences in pain, the diet plus exercise group reported an average pain score of 3.6 (out of 20), while the diet-only group had a pain score of 4.8, and the exercise-only group had a 4.7 pain score. That means that the diet-plus exercise group experienced roughly 25% less pain than did the other two groups at the end of the 18-month trial. 

This is significant when we consider the difference in weight loss between the diet-plus-exercise group and the diet group: less than the difference in pain. This underscores the importance of exercise along with weight loss. And when we consider that the pain scores between the diet group and the exercise group were close, while the weight loss difference between them was so great, this confirms the decreased pain wasn't all about the weight loss. 

The study also found that those with greater weight loss also had lower interleukin 6 levels meaning they had a reduction in inflammation. And interestingly, the diet-plus-exercise and the diet-only groups had similar interleukin 6 levels, about 13% lower than the exercise-only group. So the osteoarthritis inflammatory factors are directly related to weight loss. 

What is better for osteoarthritis exercise or weight loss? 

This isn't the first study that revealed the connection between weight loss/exercise and osteoarthritis knee pain/function. 

For example, a 2006 Wake Forest study of 87 elderly obese osteoarthritis adults underwent a diet and exercise plan for six months.The study found that pain reduction was proportionate to the weight loss and body fat reductions. The more the weight loss, the more pain was reduced. Weight loss also corresponded to greater mobility measured with six-minute walking distance and stair climbing. 

But in this study, there was only one weight loss group, and along with the weight loss diet, they exercised three days a week. 

The weight loss diet was a 1,000 calorie deficit plan meaning the patients ate 1,000 calories less than they burned per day. 

The relative importance of weight loss versus exercise is revealed in a 2004 Wake Forest study. In this study, 316 overweight elderly adults over 60 years old were followed for 18 months. They either followed a healthy lifestyle, a weight loss diet, exercise plus weight loss diet, or exercise alone. The healthy lifestyle served as the control group, as there was no diet or exercise program. Note that neither of the above two (more recent) studies used a control group a group that didnt exercise or diet during the study. 

In this 2004 study, once again the diet plus exercise group had significant improvements in walking speed and stair climbing, along with significant pain reduction compared to the other groups. 

But in this study, there was little difference in knee osteoarthritis pain or mobility between the diet-only group and the control group, even though the diet group still lost a significant amount of weight (5%) compared to the diet-plus-exercise group (5.7%). The control group lost 1.2% of their weight. 

The results of this study reveal the importance of exercise to osteoarthritis pain and mobility, especially when it comes to the knees, which bear the weight of much of the body. The knees are weight-bearing hinge joints, which means their health is relative to their function. And their function is also relative to not just how much weight they are bearing, but their ability to handle that weight. 

And exercise increases their ability to handle the weight load. 

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Written By:

Case Adams is a California naturopath who has authored 25 books on the science of natural healing together withnumerous published online and print articles.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.