I searched several databases—MEDLINE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL),
the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro)—using the terms hip osteoarthritis and knee osteoarthritis combined with randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews of exercise
(aerobic, strengthening, flexibility), plus systematic reviews of splints, modalities, and heat–cold therapy. I restricted the search to articles published between 2000 and March 2011.