Is it Safe to Move with Knee Osteoarthritis?

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  1. Why hurt doesn't always equal harm β€” and how to tell the difference
  2. The signals worth paying attention to (and the ones that just scare you)
  3. Your first small, safe step back toward the activities you miss

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From Stanford University research Tested in a clinical trial of 408 people Published in npj Digital Medicine

β€œAfter Rethink OA, for the first time in a long time, I feel hopeful.”

Study participant

The Science Behind the Program

Tested the way OA care should be β€” in a randomized controlled trial

We tested Rethink OA against an education program and against no program at all, in 408 adults with knee osteoarthritis β€” and published the results in a peer-reviewed Nature Portfolio journal. One month later:

2 in 3
increased physical activity
An average gain of about 25%, one month after a program of less than 2 hours1
55%
overcame fear of movement
Among participants who began the program with high fear of movement2
44%
felt less need for surgery
One month later, across all participants3
β˜… 4.8 / 5 β€” would recommend to friends & family with OA Randomized controlled trial Β· N = 408 Published in  npj Digital Medicine (Nature Portfolio) Less than 2 hours, fully online

166% of Rethink OA participants increased physical activity (PASE); average gain +39 points (β‰ˆ +25%), significantly greater than no program (P = 0.001). 2Of participants with elevated fear of movement at baseline, 55% dropped below the elevated threshold at one month vs. 19% with no program. 344% reported less perceived need for surgery vs. 22% with no program; measures attitudes, not surgery rates. All outcomes self-reported at one-month follow-up. Boswell MA, et al. npj Digital Medicine 7, 285 (2024).

Read the published study