Creatine For Joints? New Study Shows It Helps Osteoarthritis
Exercise remains one of the most effective tools for managing knee osteoarthritis (yes, the right type of movements help manage this kind of pain), researchers are increasingly curious about whether certain supplements can help people get more out of rehab. One compound drawing attention? Creatine. This supplement is best known for muscle strength and athletic performance, but one that may also play a role in joint health and functional recovery.
A new randomized controlled trial explored whether adding creatine to physical therapy1 could improve pain, strength, and function in people with knee osteoarthritis. Here’s what it found.
About the study
This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial included 40 adults aged 40 to 70 with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis.
Everyone participated in a structured four-week physical therapy program, which included heat therapy, electrotherapy, manual therapy, and progressive resistance exercises. However, half were assigned to take a creatine supplement for four weeks when the other half took a placebo.
Those taking the creatine supplement started with 20 grams a day for the first week (a typical loading dose) and then took 5 grams a day for the remaining three.
This is a common dosing strategy for studies. Creatine exerts its most effects in the body when creatine stores (in the muscle and brain) are saturated. That saturation can be reached by taking a 20-gram-a-day dose for a week, or a 3 to 5-gram dose daily for about 4 weeks. Since researchers only have a limited time with participants in these studies, starting with the loading let's them evaluate the compounds effects more efficiently.
Researchers assessed outcomes commonly used in osteoarthritis research, including:
- Pain
- Knee function
- Muscle strength
- Fall risk
- Sit-to-stand performance
- Knee range of motion
- Body composition
What improved (& what didn’t)?
After four weeks, both groups improved, but the creatine group improved significantly more in several key areas.
Compared to placebo, those taking creatine experienced:
- Greater reductions in knee pain
- Better overall knee function scores
- Larger gains in isometric muscle strength
- Lower fall risk
- More favorable changes in body composition, likely reflecting increases in lean mass
Overall, creatine appeared to help participants get more out of physical therapy, particularly when it came to strength and functional performance—two pillars of osteoarthritis management.
However, creatine did not provide additional benefits for knee range of motion or quality of life scores.
That’s not necessarily surprising. Joint range of motion is often limited by structural changes within the knee itself, while quality of life tends to shift more slowly, often requiring longer interventions than four weeks.
Why does creatine help?
Creatine isn’t a joint supplement in the traditional sense (like collagen). It doesn’t rebuild cartilage or directly reduce inflammation. Instead, its value lies in its ability to support muscle energy production, strength gains, and lean mass preservation.
That matters because muscle weakness (especially in the quadriceps) is one of the strongest predictors of pain, disability, and progression in knee osteoarthritis. Stronger muscles help stabilize the joint, absorb load, and improve movement efficiency. If creatine can enhance strength adaptations during rehab, it may indirectly reduce pain and improve function.
How to supplement with creatine
If you’re using creatine to support strength and rehab, research shows taking 3-5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily, with no need for a loading phase. If you’re also interested in taking creatine for its brain health benefits, consider upping that dose to 10 grams a day or pairing it with citicoline like this supplement.
There are seemingly thousands of creatine supplements out there, and it’s hard to know which one is the best. Here, we rounded up our five top choices for creatine monohydrate supplements (and none of them are gummies).
The takeaway
When paired with physical therapy and resistance exercise, creatine supplementation may help reduce pain, improve strength, and enhance functional outcomes for folks with knee osteoarthritis (even over a relatively short time frame).
No, it won’t fix joint damage or magically restore mobility, but it may help you move better, feel stronger, and get more benefit from the rehab you’re already doing, and that’s a win.