Several individual RCTs demonstrated clinical ly important improvements in pain and disability with aerobic exercise .
Other PT interventions demonstrated no sustained benefit .
Individual RCTs showed similar benefits with aerobic , aquatic , and strengthening exercise .
Adverse events were uncommon and did not deter participants from continuing treatment .
Low-strength evidence suggested that only a few PT interventions were effective .
BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability .
Nonsurgical treatment is a key first step .
PURPOSE Systematic literature review of physical therapy ( PT ) interventions for community-dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis .
Taping the patella medially: a new treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee joint?
Abstract Objective : To test the hypothesis that medial taping of the patella reduces the symptoms of  osteoarthritis of the knee when the patellofemoral joint is affected . Design : R and omised , single blind , crossover trial of three different forms of taping of the knee joint . Each tape ( medial , lateral , or neutral ) was applied for four days , with three days of no treatment between tape positions . Subjects : 14 patients with established , symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee and both clinical and radiographic evidence of patellofemoral compartment disease . Main outcome measures : Daily visual analogue scale ratings for pain ; patients ' rating of change with each treatment ; and tape preference . Results - Medical taping of the patella was significantly better than the neutral or lateral taping for pain scores , symptom change , and patient preference . The medical tape result ed in a 25 % reduction in knee pain . Conclusion : Patella taping is a simple , safe , cheap way of providing short term pain relief in patients with osteoarthritis of the patellofemoral joint
Several individual RCTs demonstrated clinical ly important improvements in pain and disability with aerobic exercise .
Other PT interventions demonstrated no sustained benefit .
Individual RCTs showed similar benefits with aerobic , aquatic , and strengthening exercise .
Adverse events were uncommon and did not deter participants from continuing treatment .
Low-strength evidence suggested that only a few PT interventions were effective .
BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability .
Nonsurgical treatment is a key first step .
PURPOSE Systematic literature review of physical therapy ( PT ) interventions for community-dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis .