For patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the hip or knee - primarily senior citizens - doing aerobic and stretching exercises in warm water can bring some relief from the pain and could improve daily function, a new review of research has found.

Knee and hip osteoarthritis is a widespread disease, seen in over 6 percent of the population. Finding relief from this disease is hard, since there are many factors that can affect it. Treating osteoarthritis typically includes a combination of medication, weight control, physical therapy and exercise. In aquatic exercise, also known as "pool therapy" or "hydrotherapy," patients perform tasks, such as aerobic activities or stretching and strengthening and range of motion exercises, in water heated to about 90 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the studies, some patients did aquatic exercises for different lengths of time and numbers of sessions per week, while other patients did no exercise or exercised on land. Most of the studies measured patients after three months of therapy. Oftentimes, aquatics are the primary course of treatment if the patient is obese and 80 percent of our patients with this diagnosis are obese, otherwise, it is considered an adjunct to the primary course of treatment, which is land-based exercises.

There is still much needed to be known about osteoarthritis and its relief. This disease is the degenerative type, so preventing it is so far the best option for a cure.