How knee pain can be fixed with exercise rather than surgery, as a rugby player found
Exercise and other therapies are often preferred treatment alternatives to knee replacement surgery. Rob Naylor experienced this first-hand
Knee replacement surgery is one of the most common procedures globally. In 2023, about 3.6 million knee replacements were performed worldwide, overtaking hip implants in the joint replacement market.
Ageing populations, rising obesity rates and significant technological advancements all contribute to the increase in knee operations. They are even being performed more frequently on younger patients.
Given the significant recovery time and the finite longevity of the hardware – 82 per cent of replacements last 25 years on average, according to a 2019 study – many patients and healthcare professionals now view surgery as a milestone to be delayed or avoided through viable alternatives.
Recent research suggests that for some, exercise may be the best option.
This was the case for former Hong Kong rugby team player and DeA Tigers scrum-half Rob Naylor, a keen runner who prioritised movement over medicine. He started feeling knee pain after running the Mount Fuji 100 in 2024, a 161km (100-mile) ultra-marathon in Japan.
Having experienced minor knee injuries in his rugby days, he hoped the pain would subside. After weeks with no change, he visited senior physiotherapist Tim McCosker at CoreOFit Physiotherapy.