Behavioral Medicine Review: The Dialectic of Tradition and Progress in Osteoarthritis Management

Abstract

In his state of the art review, Katz provided an evidence-based perspective on nonpharmacologic approaches to osteoarthritis. His overview prompts discussion of the tradition-progress dialectic that has punctuated this area as exemplified, on one hand, by continuing tendencies to privilege biomedical over biopsychosocial conceptualizations and persisting barriers to the widespread implementation of nonpharmacologic, best-evidence treatments in primary care. On the other hand, the field has been sparked by considerable innovation, including the bursting of traditional treatment boundaries, an expanding range of intervention strategies, and the emergence of promising trends that may unleash further advances in patient care.