Nearly half of men over 70 have chronic knee pain, according to lead author of research Marlene Franzen, associate professor of physiotherapy at the University of Sydney in Australia, Newsmax Health reports.

She and her coauthors tracked 1,587 men over age 70 for two years. About 640 of the men said they suffered from chronic knee pain at the start of the study. Two years later, another 150 reported experiencing bouts of chronic knee pain as well.

The men with knee pain were also more likely to experience falls, which can be serious for people over 70, and to have reduced strength and mass in the muscles, tendons and ligaments that extend the knee, according to diagnostic scans.

While some loss of muscle mass - about 1 percent a year - is typical with aging, Franzen's team also measured changes in the strength of leg muscles that control the knee.

"I think the evidence from this study and previous research would suggest that knee pain in older adults is associated with increased mobility problems, and this may be at least partly related to muscle strength declines," David Scott said. Scott studies the gradual loss of muscle mass at the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, but was not involved in the new study.

"This might indicate that methods to improve lower-limb muscle strength in older adults, such as supervised exercise training, may have potential benefits both in decreasing the disability associated with knee pain, and also in preventing development of pain itself," he said.

For the obese, losing weight can help alleviate some knee pain, she said.

Otherwise, patients should see their doctors for an effective and safe pain management strategy, and a physiotherapist for a recommended physical activity program, Franzen said.