Joint Action

Patients are not just the subjects of research. They are essential partners in shaping it.

In this episode of Joint Action, Professor David Hunter sits down with John Day, a consumer advocate who has spent years ensuring that the voices of people living with osteoarthritis are heard where it matters most: in research, education, and healthcare design. John's journey into advocacy began with his own experience of OA, and since retiring from a career spanning education and organisational leadership, he has channelled that energy into workshops, studies, and focus groups dedicated to keeping the patient perspective...

On this special World Arthritis Day episode of Joint Action, we are bringing together some of the most moving moments from our patient stories series, where real people share what it is like to live with osteoarthritis, and more importantly, what they did about it.

Whether you are newly diagnosed, have been living with osteoarthritis for years, or are supporting someone who is, we hope today's episode reminds you that there is always something you can do.

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Do supplements really help with osteoarthritis, or are we wasting our money? On this week's episode of Joint Action, Associate Professor Joanna Harnett and Dr Jocelyn Bowden join Professor David Hunter to cut through the noise on complementary medicines, exploring what the evidence actually shows and how to make informed decisions about supplement use for osteoarthritis.

A/Prof Joanna Harnett is an Associate Professor of Complementary Medicines at the University of Sydney's School of Pharmacy. Her research focuses on the quality use of complementary medicines and clinical studies in gastrointestinal health and the microbiome, with over 100...

What does it really mean to live with hand osteoarthritis, and how do you stay active and engaged in life when your hands are constantly painful? On this week's episode of Joint Action, Giovanna Lever joins Professor David Hunter to share her personal journey living with hand osteoarthritis, diagnosed at 45 after years of struggling with pain, and what it has meant for her work, travel, and family life.

Giovanna Lever is the Founder and Managing Director of Sparrowly Group, a Sydney-based consultancy working in economic development, community development, workforce planning, and tourism strategy across Australia and...

Is platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) a game changer for osteoarthritis, or is the evidence still catching up with the hype? On this week's episode of Joint Action, Dr Hamish Osborne joins Professor David Hunter to cut through the noise on PRP exploring what the research currently shows, where the gaps in evidence lie, and how patients and clinicians can navigate the decision together.

Dr Hamish Osborne is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians. He works part time in private practice and part time as a senior lecturer at the University of Otago, in...

Do your knees crack, pop, or creak when you move? On this week's episode of Joint Action, Associate Professor Danilo De Oliveira Silva joins Professor David Hunter to explain what those sounds actually mean, whether they are something to worry about, and what the research tells us about the relationship between noisy knees and osteoarthritis.

A/Prof Danilo De Oliveira Silva is an Associate Professor and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at La Trobe University, Melbourne. His research focuses on the biomechanics, psychological, and pain characteristics of people with musculoskeletal conditions across the lifespan, with more than 130...

Should you lose weight or have your knee replaced? On this week's episode of Joint Action, Professor Marius Henriksen joins Professor David Hunter to discuss the INKA randomised controlled trial, which set out to test whether an intensive dietary weight loss program could deliver results comparable to knee arthroplasty for people with knee osteoarthritis who are eligible for surgery.

Professor Marius Henriksen is a clinical professor of physiotherapy at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen University, and head of musculoskeletal research at the Parker Institute at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. His primary research focus...

Have you ever wondered whether your painful, stiff joints are just something you have to put up with, or whether there is actually something that can be done? On this week's episode of Joint Action, Vicky puts your listener questions to Professor David Hunter, covering hand osteoarthritis and what treatments are available, common concerns people have when living with osteoarthritis day to day, and how to know when the time is right to consider joint replacement surgery.

Dr Vicky Duong is a physiotherapist and research fellow at the Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, where her research...

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 Department of Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne and a leader in the field of walking and running biomechanics. His research focuses on lower limb biomechanics and injury, with expertise...

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.

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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 implementation scientist at La Trobe University, where he leads key projects including GLA:D Australia and TREK. With additional training in communications and implementation science, his research focuses on bridging the...

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 healthcare, or simply want to understand the science better.

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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 driving the alarming rates of increased surgery ranging from system-level factors such as inadequate reimbursement for physiotherapy treatment to personal-level factors such as individual beliefs and education of patients and their health care providers. Frequently referrals are made to surgeons as...

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 Professor of Medicine, Pathology, and Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine. A rheumatologist and translational scientist, her research focuses on osteoarthritis and biomarker development as part of the international FNIH Biomarkers...

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 Movement Sciences and Health at the University of West Florida, where she teaches anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, and research methods, and co-directs the biomechanics and motor learning laboratory. As a clinician-scientist, her research focuses on...

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 rehabilitation using non-drug, non-surgical treatments.

Her mission is to create high-quality, innovative research that improves patient care. She is an expert in a wide range of research methods, and she involves...

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 research fellow at UNSW and the managing director of Precision Statistics Medtech Consulting. He is a musculoskeletal epidemiologist and health data scientist with a desire to bridge the gap between research and real-world healthcare impacts.

Professor Ilana Ack...

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 expert in hip and knee osteoarthritis, Michelle's research focuses on lifestyle strategies-including exercise, sleep, and bracing-to reduce pain and improve quality of life. Her work has produced more th...

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.

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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 of Melbourne. She recently submitted her PhD, which focused on developing and evaluating a self-directed online intervention for people with osteoarthritis in a clinical trial, where she developed the RETREAT trial th...

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 thought-provoking exchange between two absolute heavyweights in the field and dig deeper to find out whether exercise truly delivers on its promise for people with osteoarthritis.

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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 may underlie behaviours that detract from your ability to be physically active and modify your behaviour.

Associate Professor Tasha Stanton leads the Osteoarthritis Research Theme within IIMPACT in Health at the University of So...

On this episode of Joint Action, Vicky puts David in the hot seat with listener questions.

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On this episode of Joint Action, Vicky puts David in the hot seat with listener questions—and a few personal ones too.

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If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a rev...

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 Impact, a platform dedicated to helping individuals and team communicate with clarity, confidence and influence.

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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 planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs where he also directs the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies. His research addresses the challenges of transportation and climate change by how we plan our streets and move...

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 orthopaedic physiotherapy, researcher and educator. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications is recognised as an international expert in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols in Orthopaedics and was the lead author of the first ERAS Society guidelines for...

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 episodes:

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 knee OA.

On this week's episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Dr Trevor Birmingham and Dr David Parker to discuss high tibial osteotomy surgery, who it is suitable for and the risks...

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, there is no clinically approved drug which provides a cure. Currently, drugs focus on relieving symptoms such as pain. Experiments done in the laboratory have provided insight on osteoarthritis onset and progression and will likely guide therapeutic development.<...

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 government at the University of California San Francisco, Her work focuses on musculoskeletal imaging, predictive modelling, and clinical study design, with a focus on applying advanced statistical and machine learning methods to improve patient outcomes<...

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 aging, injury, or training.

He is an award-winning STEM educator and former collegiate basketball player who runs STEM focused clinics to encourage student interest in maths, science, technology and engineering. His i...

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 importance of hope, and how better understanding can help you take control of your health.

Whether you're living with osteoarthritis, supporting someone who is, or working in healthcare, this conversation is a must-l...

Methotrexate is a well-established drug used in oncology, but could it also play a role in managing osteoarthritis? In this episode of Joint Action, Professor David Hunter is joined by Dr Anna Døssing and Professor Robin Christensen to explore the potential of methotrexate as a treatment for osteoarthritis pain.

They discuss:

Metformin is one of the world’s most prescribed drugs for type 2 diabetes - but could it also help with knee osteoarthritis? In this episode of Joint Action, Prof. David Hunter is joined by Prof. Flavia Cicuttini to unpack the results of a groundbreaking clinical trial that tested metformin as a new treatment for knee pain in people with knee osteoarthritis. Tune in to hear what the study found, how the drug works, who might benefit, and what this could mean for delaying joint replacement.

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In this episode of Joint Action, Professor David Hunter is joined by Dr. Stephanie Mathies and Dr. Giovanni Ferreira to unpack the cost-effectiveness of osteoarthritis treatments. They discuss the results of their recent systematic review, which analysed over 100 studies to identify which guideline-recommended treatments provide the best value for money.

From exercise and medications to injections and surgery, they explore which interventions are truly cost-effective - and which may not be worth the spend. Learn why “simple things” like exercise and education still offer the most value, and what this means for patients, clinicians, and healthcare poli...

In this week's episode of Joint Action, Professor David Hunter is joined by Dr Sarah Kobayashi, a lecturer in anatomy and osteoarthritis researcher, to talk about the power of walking - especially for people with osteoarthritis.

Sarah shares her insights into the many health benefits of walking, why it’s so important for joint health, and how to overcome common barriers to getting started. She also introduces the CASCADE-OA study (Community bAsed phySical aCtivity AnD sElf-management for OsteoArthritis), a 12-month clinical trial exploring the effectiveness of a self-directed walking program, Walk With Ease Australia, in improving ph...

Running often gets a bad rap when it comes to knee osteoarthritis - but is the fear justified? In this week's episode of Joint Action, Professor David Hunter speaks with physiotherapist and researcher Dr Jean-François Esculier to unpack common myths about running and joint health. They explore the latest evidence, share tips for safe running with OA, and discuss how to build joint resilience over time.

Tune in to learn why running might not just be safe - it could even be helpful.

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High heels have long been associated with fashion - but what impact do they have on your joints? This week, Professor David Hunter is joined by physiotherapist and footwear researcher Dr. Kathryn Mills to unpack the biomechanics of high heels and their effect on knee health.

From changes in posture and joint compression to the importance of shoe comfort and replacement, this episode blends science with practical advice for anyone managing knee pain or osteoarthritis. Plus, learn what to look for in a good shoe and when to seek professional help from a podiatrist or physiotherapist.<...

Can joint replacements reduce pain, help you move more - and live longer? In this week's podcast episode, we explore the untold benefits of hip and knee replacements beyond pain relief. Dr Tim Lindsay, clinician and researcher at Imperial College London, joins us to share insights from large-scale studies that show how joint replacement can restore physical activity levels and potentially reduce premature mortality. We also discuss why recovery takes time, how expectations should be managed, and what patients can realistically achieve after surgery. If you're considering joint replacement or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers evidence-based clarity...