I’ve just been diagnosed with a mild case of knee osteoarthritis (both knees). X-rays show some joint narrowing and the start of some bone spurs. My symptoms are pain worse in the afternoon and evening. I start out okay in the mornings but by noon I’m starting to get stiff and achy. What can I do to keep from getting worse?

There’s no doubt that nutrition and exercise are key factors in maintaining good joint health. Multiple studies on knee osteoarthritis have proven that physical activity and exercise are essential to knee joint health.

According to the Osteoarthritis Initiative investigators who study this problem, participation in sports and exercise has the strongest link to best function. And it doesn’t seem to matter what activities people are engaged in — participation in any and all are beneficial.

Risk factors for poor function are age (65 and older) and being overweight. There’s not much you can do about lowering your age but you can work to keep the weight off. Smoking, a poor diet, and excess alcohol are additional factors that are known to negatively affect patients with knee arthritis.