Treatment	Evidence
Physical therapy and weight loss	Combination of aerobic and strength training is recommended, and weight loss if body mass index is greater than 25 kg per m^{2^7,8}; home programs are as effective as supervised programs^⁹
	Ice improves range of motion and strength, but not pain^¹⁰
	There is some evidence for patellar taping or therapeutic ultrasonography to improve physical function and decrease pain^{^11,12}
Pharmacotherapy	Extended-release acetaminophen, 1,300 mg three times daily, is effective and well tolerated; however, other studies show inconclusive evidence of effectiveness^{^13,14}
	Glucosamine/chondroitin supplements show mixed benefit and are not recommended by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons^{^7,15–18}
	Opioid analgesics should be used only if conservative pharmacotherapy is ineffective in patients who are not candidates for surgery^⁸
	Selective and nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are effective^⁸
Injections	Corticosteroid injections provide short-term improvements in pain and function^¹⁹
	Hyaluronic injections have questionable benefit for pain and function, and are best reserved for patients in whom first-line conservative treatments have been ineffective and who are not candidates for surgery^{^7,8,20}
Braces, orthoses, and other therapies	Limited evidence for medial unloader valgus brace^{^21,22}