Physical therapy can help to reduce the pain, swelling, and stiffness of knee osteoarthritis, and it can help improve knee joint function. It can also make it easier for you to walk, bend, kneel, squat, and sit. The two main types of physical therapy—passive and active treatments—can help make your knee OA more manageable. With passive treatments, the physical therapist does the majority of the work. But with active treatments, you do more of the work, such as at-home exercises.