Prevalence of Self-disclosed Knee Trouble and Use of Treatments Among Elderly Individuals From Frederiksberg Municipality - A Prospective Cohort Study

Although knee pain is prevalent among community-dwelling older adults and frequently leads to consultation in primary care, little is known about how people in general manage their knee pain.

Treatments of knee osteoarthritis include a variety of non-pharmaceutical, medical, and surgical interventions with highly individual and inconsistent results and with the possible exception of a longer lasting weight reduction, none of the non-surgical treatments have been able to demonstrate long-lasting effect on pain or disability.

It is well recognised that patient participation in handling of disease creates better compliance and satisfaction with pharmacological treatment.

Another option for taking active part in self-management is the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). despite their popularity and effect, there is currently no overview of the actual extent of CAMs used for knee pain and disability at a population level, and most CAMs remain to be studied scientifically for efficacy.

The incidence of knee OA shows a steep increase at age above 60 years. Furthermore, after this age an increasing prevalence of disablement to knee trouble is encountered. To prevent this development, measures must be sought to alter the course of knee OA.