Aquatic exercise for the treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis

Bartels EM, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Moderate-quality evidence of small short-term benefits: pain SMD -0.31 (~5 points/100) and disability SMD -0.32 immediately post-treatment. Real but modest — value is enabling movement when land exercise hurts.

Population

13 RCTs, 1,190 participants with knee/hip OA

Intervention

Aquatic (pool-based) exercise

Comparator

Usual care / no exercise

Limitations

Small effect sizes, short follow-up, blinding impossible; no structural outcomes.