Dr Xand stressed that sufferers should not think of themselves like ‘old cars’, adding that the ‘worst thing’ you can do is to keep resting for too long
Dr Alexander van Tulleken sought to separate facts from fiction on BBC Morning Live today amidst a flood of questions about knee pain. The 46-year-old said that while it’s easy to assume that sore legs are always a sign of ageing or strenuous activity, there’s actually a common culprit that ‘stands out more than any other’.
Speaking to the show’s presenters, he explained that such a cause is osteoarthritis—a condition that gives rise to stiffness, swelling, tenderness, and joint pain. NHS figures suggest it is the most common type of arthritis in the UK, affecting millions of people.
“If you have got new pain in both knees, you should definitely talk to your GP because there are lots of causes of knee pain and they can be treated in different ways,” Dr Xand said. “But there is one cause that sort of stands out more than any other, it affects millions of people in the UK, and that is osteoarthritis.
“We used to call that, some people still call it ‘wear and tear arthritis’, but that is one of the myths I really want to bust today. We mustn’t think of our knees as getting worn out.”
While age can influence osteoarthritis, other risk factors include obesity, a family history of the condition, previous joint injuries, and even poor dietary choices. The condition can also cause creaking noises in the joints and instability when moving around.
However, Dr Xand stressed that sufferers should not think of themselves like ‘old cars’, adding that the ‘worst thing’ you can do is to keep resting for too long. Instead, he recommends incorporating exercise into your daily routine, as this can help to strengthen your knees over time.
Biking, swimming, dancing, walking, or anything else that makes you happy while keeping you active should help. The NHS also offers a range of at-home exercise tutorials for individuals with mobility issues, though it is worth consulting a GP before trying them.
Besides this, Dr Xand added that maintaining a healthy diet and cutting out smoking can make a difference if weight is a significant contributing factor. “It’s very, very hard to lose weight, so here’s how I think about it instead,” he said.
“Sleep, stress, alcohol, smoking – all those things will make a big difference to your knees. So, think about tackling those. Improve your diet rather than think about weight loss because if you eat a broader range of fruit and vegetables and whole grains and whole foods, and cut down on the ultra-processed food, you can still eat delicious stuff.
“You can still have all those things, but it will reduce the inflammation and irritation in your knees.”
NHS guidance adds: “Osteoarthritis is a long-term condition and cannot be cured, but it doesn’t necessarily get any worse over time and it can sometimes gradually improve. A number of treatments are also available to reduce the symptoms.
“If your symptoms are more severe, you may need additional treatments such as painkillers and a structured exercise plan with a physiotherapist.
“In a small number of cases, where these treatments haven’t helped or the damage to the joints is particularly severe, surgery may be done to repair, strengthen or replace a damaged joint.”
