Knee pain relief: exercise plus gel beats either alone
NCT ID NCT05827003
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether adding a topical gel (diclofenac) to a supervised exercise program helps knee osteoarthritis pain more than exercise or gel alone. 79 adults aged 40-65 with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis took part. The results could help doctors recommend better non-surgical treatment plans.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- diclofenac gel
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that combining exercise with a topical gel is a more effective way to manage knee osteoarthritis pain than either treatment alone.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with 79 participants. Results may not apply to everyone, and the study does not test long-term effects or compare with other common treatments like oral painkillers.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
79 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Apr 2024
- Finished
-
Jun 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
40 to 65 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed with knee OA according to the criteria of the American Society of Rheumatology * Stage 2 or 3 according to Kellgren Lawrence radiological staging criteria * Those between the ages of 40 and 65 * Body mass index below 30 kg/m2 * Pain intensity defined by the patient in the last 3 months is at least 3 out of 10 according to NPRS * Patients who do not have any obstacles to be included in the exercise program Exclusion Criteria: * Using viscosupplementation or steroid injection or systemic steroids in the related knee in the last 3 months * To have received a physiotherapy program for the relevant knee in the last 3 months * Having a valgus or varus deformity greater than 15° * Presence of active infection or tumor * Presence of neurological diseases and/or deformity leading to lower extremity muscle weakness * Having serious systemic and cardiovascular diseases that interfere with exercise
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa
Istanbul, Istanbul, 34500, Turkey (Türkiye)
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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