Dr. DiNubile: Your story is very typical for someone with knee osteoarthritis who is trying to start or maintain an exercise program. We all know that regular exercise is very important, but when you're in pain it's difficult to get active. The less active you are the more likely you are to gain weight, and that's not good for your knees. Studies have shown that for every pound a person is overweight, four to five pounds of extra pressure is added to each knee during walking.

There are ways that you can try to become more active — even with osteoarthritis. Sometimes working with a physical therapist can get you going in a safe, effective manner. You also need to spend time building muscle and strengthening your legs with appropriate exercises. If the pain is still limiting you, then you should speak with your physician about treatments to lessen the pain to help get you out of this rut. Once you break this pain cycle, then you will be able to do more active and begin exercise. This will give you more lasting pain relief and improvement of function.