Joint Action

Could the shoes you wear every day be making your knee osteoarthritis better or worse? On this week's episode of Joint Action, Kade Paterson joins Professor David Hunter to explain why footwear matters for knee osteoarthritis and how to choose the best shoe for your joints. Associate Professor Kade Paterson is a Principal Research Fellow in the Centre for Health Exercise and Sports Medicine in the...

What happens to global science when funding is cut, borders close, and collaboration is threatened? In this special episode of Joint Action, Professor David Hunter reflects on the proposed changes to research funding and collaboration threaten global science and why speaking up, supporting one another, and protecting open, rigorous research matters now more than ever. PROVIDE FEEDBACK Office of Ma...

When we say a treatment works for knee osteoarthritis, it is worth asking: works for whom? On this week's episode of Joint Action, Professor Christian Barton unpacks the blind spots in osteoarthritis research, exploring who has and hasn't been included in the evidence base for first-line care, and what that means for the patients we treat every day. Prof Christian Barton is a physiotherapist and i...

This week on Joint Action, Vicky turns the tables and puts the questions to Professor David Hunter . Three listeners submitted questions spanning gut health, total knee replacement, and the frustrating gap between what the research says and what patients are actually being told in clinic. It's a wide-ranging, honest conversation that's relevant whether you're living with osteoarthritis, working in...

The number of surgical procedures for musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis has increased exponentially over the past years, some of which are unnecessary and leave patients no better off than they were before. Knee replacement surgery can be a wonderful and cost-effective treatment for end-stage osteoarthritis but only when less invasive treatments have failed. There are many factors dr...

Can identifying the right patients and the right endpoints transform how we test new osteoarthritis treatments? On this week's episode of Joint Action, we unpack what the FNIH Biomarkers Consortium has learned so far, and how their latest phase aims to deliver biomarkers that can make disease-modifying OA drug trials smaller, faster, and more likely to succeed. Dr. Virginia Byers Kraus is a Profes...

What does it actually mean to have 'early-stage' osteoarthritis, and does catching it sooner really make a difference? On this week's episode of Joint Action, learn more about early-stage knee osteoarthritis, how it's defined, and why the EsSKOA initiative is changing the way we identify and understand the condition in its earliest phases. Dr. Armaghan Mahmoudian is an Assistant Professor of Movem...

On this week's episode of Joint Action, learn more about how knee braces work, who they help and how they can improve pain and function for people with knee osteoarthritis. Melanie Holden is a Chartered Physiotherapist and the Professor of Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation at the School of Medicine at Keele University. Her current research focuses on how to best manage musculoskeletal pain through re...

Knee osteoarthritis doesn’t just affect joints—it can limit people’s ability to participate fully in work and daily life, shaping their long‑term wellbeing and productivity. In this week's episode of Joint Action we are joined by Jason Jin and Ilana Ackerman to explore how knee osteoarthritis influences workforce participation. Dr  Xingzhong (Jason) Jin is a conjoint resea...

Why does a bad night’s sleep make everything hurt more? On this week's episode of Joint Action, we are joined by A/Prof Michelle Hall to explore the cycle between sleep and pain and some practical strategies to help regain both rest and relief. Michelle Hall is an Associate Professor within Sydney Musculoskeletal Health and the School of Health Sciences at the University of Sydney. A leading exper...

Hear from the co-editors-in-chief of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage journal on what they thought were the latest advances in osteoarthritis research in 2025. Anne-Marie Malfait, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine and the Klaus E. Kuettner, Chair of Osteoarthritis Research at Rush University. She is co-Editor-in-Chief of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage journal alongside David Hunter. RESOURCES David...

Tai Chi is a gentle, low-impact exercise that combines slow, controlled movements with balance and mindfulness. In this week’s episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Julia Zhu to discuss the evidence behind Tai Chi and its benefits for people living with knee osteoarthritis. Julia Zhu is a physiotherapist and PhD student at the Centre for Health, Exercise & Sports Medicine at the University...

On this week's episode we are airing the debate between Prof Kim Bennell , internationally renowned for her groundbreaking research on physiotherapy, exercise, and self-management for people living with osteoarthritis and Prof Marius Henriksen , a leading voice in musculoskeletal research, who has rigorously examined the role and sometimes limits of exercise in osteoarthritis care. Listen to this...

On this week's episode we discuss reframing pain in the context of osteoarthritis. The purpose of today’s conversation is to help you reconceptualise what pain means and shift the dialogue from pain being solely a marker of tissue damage and discusses the nervous system adaptations that occur as pain persists. Further we discuss education programs that target this knowledge and the beliefs that ma...

On this episode of Joint Action, Vicky puts David in the hot seat with listener questions. RELATED EPISODES A chat to David and listener questions (Season 2, 2021) Meaghan's osteoarthritis journey (Season 2, 2021) JOURNAL ARTICLES Dietary supplements for treating osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis The Association of Recreational and Competitive Running With Hip and Knee Ost...

On this episode of Joint Action, Vicky puts David in the hot seat with listener questions—and a few personal ones too. RELATED EPISODES A chat to David and listener questions (2021) CONNECT WITH US Join one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trials Instagram: @ProfDavidHunter Twitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorg Email: hello@jointaction.info Website: www.join...

Ever wonder what is involved in a total hip replacement? On this week's episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Robyn Pulman. An avid listener of Joint Action, she now joins as a guest to share her lived experience with osteoarthritis and her personal journey through a recent left anterior hip replacement. Robyn is a public speaking and corporate communication coach and expert behind Speak for I...

From reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions to lowering rates of chronic disease and promoting mental well-being, active transport systems are reshaping cities and lives. On this week's episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Professor Adam Millard-Ball to explore how communities are reimagining streets to prioritise people over cars. Adam Millard-Ball is a professor of urban planni...

Can two wheels really help ease joint pain? On this week's episode we are joined by Professor Tom Wainwright to discuss the benefits of cycling for hip osteoarthritis. He also discusses the findings of his recently completed randomised controlled trial comparing a cycling and educational intervention to usual physiotherapy care. Professor Tom Wainwright is a physiotherapist specialising in orthopa...

Did you know that 1 in 8 Australians live with osteoarthritis? It is one of the leading causes of pain and disability worldwide. On this special episode, we hear from previous guests on common misconceptions and beliefs about osteoarthritis, the importance of staying physically active, behaviour change, and driving change in osteoarthritis. If you are interested, you can listen to the full episode...

High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a limb realignment surgery which is intended for people who have medial compartment osteoarthritis (OA), but are not suitable candidates for total knee replacement due to younger age, less severe disease and greater physical demands. The aim of HTO is to correct alignment, thereby shifting load away from the more involved knee compartment and limit progression of kne...

This week's episode is in honour of Frank Beier, who recently passed away on July 18, 2025. Frank leaves behind a remarkable legacy through the impact he made in the field of osteoarthritis. In this previous episode (2021), he discussed the recent advances in osteoarthritis understanding with a particular emphasis on novel targets and epigenetics. Despite the large prevalence of osteoarthritis, th...

On this week's episode of Joint Action discover how ultra-processed foods may be silently contributing to osteoarthritis. Dr Gabby Joseph joins us to discuss her research research linking poor diet quality to greater knee pain, poorer physical function and thinner knee cartilage. Dr Gabby Joseph is a scientist and statistician with over 20 years of experience leading research funded by the US gove...

Dribbling into discovery - on this episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Dr John Drazan to learn more about how he is using basketball to inspire the next generation of scientists. Dr John Drazan is an Assistant Professor of biomedical engineering at Fairfield University where he studies the relationship between muscle structure and function to understand how muscles remodel in response to agi...

Did you know your beliefs about osteoarthritis could be making your symptoms worse? In this re-aired episode from Season 5, Episode 1 of Joint Action, physiotherapist and health communication expert Dr Ben Darlow joins us to explore how common misconceptions - like “wear and tear” or “bone on bone” - can limit your activity and shape your treatment choices. We discuss the power of language, the im...