What Actually Works for Knee Pain?

I was in London earlier this week, catching up with some old school mates always good to see familiar faces and laugh about how grey we’re all getting. Met up with my cousin Oli too, which was a treat.

London in the sunshine really is something special. We found ourselves at The Devonshire Arms enjoying what they called a “specialist Guinness” not sure what made it specialist, but it went down well.

Then it was straight to Norfolk this weekend to see some university friends our first proper long trip with baby Jack (yikes). He was great to be fair, but anyone who’s done a road trip with a baby knows the suitcase looks like you’re moving house.

And now, I’m getting ready to watch the Women’s Euro Final tonight come on the Lionesses!

Let’s talk knees specifically, knee pain and what actually works to treat it.

Knee issues are something we see a lot of at the clinic, especially among:

Runners and gym-goers
Parents constantly crouching and lifting
And anyone over 40 who’s starting to feel those little creaks when they get off the sofa

A massive meta-analysis just dropped this June (Abafita et al., 2025) looking at 139 randomised trials with nearly 10,000 people who had knee osteoarthritis and the results were clear on what helps.

1. Knee Braces Come Out on Top

Simple, supportive knee braces were ranked highest for:

Reducing pain
Easing stiffness
Improving function and movement

They work by offloading the joint, redistributing weight and pressure so you’re not grinding bone-on-bone every time you bend. Great for walking, climbing stairs, or just surviving a long family dog walk.

2. Hydrotherapy and General Exercise

Water-based movement (like hydrotherapy or swimming) came second for pain and mobility. It makes sense the water supports your body weight and allows for low-impact movement that still strengthens the muscles around the knee.

General structured exercise think squats, glute bridges, balance drills also held up really well in the data. No fancy equipment, just consistent movement. You can check out our youtube channel for lower length strength drills. Find out more here.

The golden rule: keep moving, even when it’s sore. Avoiding activity can make pain worse over time.

3. Acupuncture + Exercise = Strong Combo

Another study found that acupuncture on its own helps, but when paired with active movement and rehab, the benefits were even better:

Less pain (around 0.7 points drop on a VAS scale)
Improved function and range of motion
Happier knees overall

Even more interesting, fMRI scans showed acupuncture doesn’t just work on the body it seems to activate brain regions that process pain and motor control. Actual changes in brain connectivity were seen in the real acupuncture group.

4. Yoga vs Strength Training

A 2025 clinical trial looked at yoga vs strength work over 12 weeks. The result?

Both helped. Significantly.

Yoga was great for balance, mobility, and mindfulness, while strength training improved power, joint stability, and function. The key takeaway? Pick the one that fits your life best and stick with it.

What Should You Actually Do If You Have Knee Pain?

Based on all of this research, here’s a quick cheat sheet:

? Try a knee brace ? it’s simple, immediate, and helps with day to day movement
? Stay active ? hydrotherapy, strength training, walking, yoga pick your style
? Don’t rely on passive treatments alone combine acupuncture or massage with movement
? Be consistent ? most of the studies ran for 8£12 weeks

One Thing to Avoid: Doing Nothing

The temptation with knee pain is to stop moving but that just weakens the muscles and worsens joint function. Even on sore days, gentle movement is medicine.

References

Abafita et al., 2025-Yoga or Strengthening Exercise for Knee Osteoarthritis

Chen et al., 2023- Efficacy of acupuncture combined with active exercise training in improving pain and function of knee osteoarthritis individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Wei et al., 2025-Effect of acupuncture treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis on brain fluctuation amplitude and functional connectivity: a randomized three-armed fMRI study

If you are wanting to chat more about the information above then why not book a call with me and we can go into more detail? Click here to book or if you want to get an assessment then Book a consultation with a Chiropractor here

If you do know someone who wants more advice, please send them our details. You can send them this assessment as well to diagnose their back pain. It is a great tool to understand where your back pain is coming from, it is free and takes 60 seconds. Click here for assessment