Researchers have noted that those with knee osteoarthritis often have foot, elbow and lower back pains. Study authors also reported that pain in multiple joints was often associated with increased pain in the knee of such patients. 1,400 patients between ages 45 and 79 were taken for the study.

The findings were released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the journal Arthritis Care & Research. "Our findings show that pain in the low back, foot and elbow may be associated with greater knee pain, confirming that symptomatic knee OA rarely occurs in isolation. Future studies are needed to determine whether treatment of pain occurring elsewhere in the body will improve therapy outcomes for knee OA," Dr. Pradeep Suri, of Harvard Medical School, said in a news release.