Suffering knee pain while climbing stairs is often an early warning of arthritis, a new study finds.
Osteoarthritis, known as "wear-and-tear" arthritis, is the most common form of the disease. It is estimated that nearly half of those over 85 suffer from it. Most sufferers develop it in their mid-60s or earlier.
People tend to ignore knee pain that occurs while climbing stairs, and miss the opportunity for early diagnosis and treatment, says Philip Conaghan, professor of musculoskeletal medicine at the University of Leeds.
His team looked at 4,673 people who have or are at high risk of osteoarthritis. Participants completed annual surveys to help the researchers track the emergence of pain during different activities over a long-term period.
The study, published in Arthritis Care & Research, revealed that using stairs was the first weight-bearing task in which people noticed pain. This was followed by pain emerging during walking, standing, lying, sitting, and then finally when resting.
"At present we have little concept of 'early' osteoarthritis and often only see people when they have significant longstanding pain and loss of function,” said Professor Conaghan. “Knowing this will help us intervene earlier, perhaps leading to more effective ways of treating this very painful condition.”
© 2026 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.