Sugar shots and exercise may soothe knee arthritis pain

This study tested whether prolotherapy (injections of a sugar solution) combined with a personalized physical activity plan can reduce pain and improve function in people with knee osteoarthritis. 74 adults with grade 2 knee OA took part. Researchers measured pain, stiffness, and physical function using standard questionnaires, and also looked at levels of two inflammation-related proteins (IL-1β and MMP-3) in the blood. The goal was to see if adding exercise to prolotherapy works better than prolotherapy alone.