Researchers find people with knee arthritis don't get enough physical activity

Aside from seeking a prescription to buy Euflexxa, getting plenty of physical activity is one of the best ways to keep the knees flexible and pain-free. However, new research suggests that few people with arthritis of the knees are heeding this warning, as many people lead very inactive lives.

Researchers from Northwestern University tracked the daily physical activity of more than 1,000 participants with chronic knee pain. The results showed that more than half of women and 40 percent of men led very sedentary lifestyles.

The results surprised the researchers, as they contradict previous studies, which showed that people tend to slow down when they develop arthritis in the knee but still make efforts to stay as active as possible.

"We had assumed that people might be overstating physical activity in past self-reported data, but were surprised to find that the physical activity rates were much, much lower than what was previously reported," said Dorothy Dunlop, who led the investigation.

She added that people with arthritis should be reminded by their doctors of the need to stay physically active.