The Knee OA Toolkit includes:
1. What's going on in your body with knee osteoarthritis?
Knowledge is power when it comes to knee OA. Understanding what's actually going on inside your body, helps make sense of how to manage it.
- Normal knees: This module describes how a normal knee works and how it's built. This helps understand the impacts of knee OA.
- Understanding knee osteoarthritis: We explore where the pain actually comes from, the mechanical and biochemical processes involved, and how some of the changes that were previously thought to be ‘degenerative’ may actually be adaptive and helpful.
2. What are the recommended treatment options?
People who understand the treatment options are more likely to expect and get good quality, evidence-based treatment. In this module we break down the recommended treatment options into core, secondary and surgical options. Guidelines recommend:
- Core treatments for most people most of the time.
- Exercise, diet and body fat management
- Secondary treatments for some people some of the time
- Orthotics, braces, taping and pharmaceuticals
- Surgical options for surprisingly few people
- The 3 key factors when considering surgery
- A high level look at 3 procedures: arthroscopy, osteotomy and knee replacements
3. Building a healthcare team that's right for you
We look at the health professionals commonly involved in managing knee OA and what they do. There's guidance on building your healthcare team and figuring out who to see when you need some more help.
4. Exercises
Exercise is one of the most effective, evidence-based treatments for knee osteoarthritis. It is consistently recommended as a first-line treatment in both Australian and international guidelines. The Knee OA Toolkit exercise module is the backbone of the program. It's designed to help you build the strength, control, and confidence to actively support your knees—when and where it suits you.
5. Practical supports for self management
In this section we look at practical ways to support:
- Pain management: strategies to help relieve pain at home
- A low inflammation diet: tips for eating well to support your knee's biochemical environment
