KNEED is a digital six-month physiotherapy and medical weight management program for adults with knee osteoarthritis linked to excess weight.
It provides personalised support from CORU-registered physiotherapists and dietitians, combining targeted physiotherapy, a medically supervised weight loss diet using formulated foods to achieve faster results, and a Mediterranean-style plan for long-term success — all delivered through structured virtual care from the comfort of home.
The program is available by doctor referral only, ensuring it’s safe and medically appropriate for you.
Most people with weight-related knee osteoarthritis are offered pain relief or physiotherapy alone — but when excess weight isn’t addressed, results are often short-lived.
KNEED changes that.
By tackling both the joint and its underlying cause — excess weight — KNEED helps reduce pain faster, improve mobility, and protect your knees for the long term.
The program combines targeted physiotherapy to strengthen and stabilise the joint with a medically supervised weight-loss plan that quickly reduces joint load and inflammation.
In the initial phase, this plan helps patients lose 9–15 kg safely in just six weeks (depending on starting weight).
To put that in perspective, every 1 kg of weight loss relieves about 4 kg of pressure on the knees — meaning up to 36–60 kg less joint load in a short time.
But it’s not just about pressure — excess body fat also releases inflammatory chemicals that can damage cartilage and accelerate the condition.
After the initial phase, patients transition to a Mediterranean-style diet to support sustainable weight management and long-term joint protection.
As the weight comes off, movement becomes easier — creating a positive cycle of less pain, better function, and renewed confidence to stay active.
Clinical research shows that programs using this approach achieve 10–20 % total body-weight loss within six months — about twice as much as traditional diets — bringing major benefits not just for your knees, but for your overall health.
All sessions are delivered by CORU-registered clinicians with direct communication to your doctor
Once your doctor refers you, our team contacts you to complete onboarding and a safety check.
Rapid, medically supervised weight loss using a VLCD, combined with tailored physiotherapy sessions to restore movement and confidence.
You’ll move onto a Mediterranean-style diet and continue physiotherapy to maintain results and build long-term strength.
All delivered virtually by CORU-registered physiotherapists and dietitians, with GP communication throughout.
The KNEED model is based on research from the University of Melbourne’s Better Knee, Better Me clinical trial — showing that combining a medically supervised diet with physiotherapy leads to faster weight loss, greater pain reduction, and improved mobility.
This same approach has already been implemented nationally in Australia through private insurers, proving it is both safe and effective under medical supervision.
KNEED is the first program in Ireland and Europe to deliver this proven model digitally with CORU-registered clinicians and GP oversight.
We’ll talk through your situation, explain how the programme works, and answer your questions.
No obligation. If KNEED isn’t right for you, we’ll tell you.
