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Lily Canter

When teaching assistant Kavita Biswas first asked for a wheelchair at the airport, she was struggling to walk even short distances.
It was a world away from her active life practising yoga and dance alongside her full-time job in a Hong Kong school.
Suddenly, in her mid-forties, she found herself relying on a cane and, at times, a walking frame.
Knee pain had steadily taken over her life, reshaping her days and narrowing her sense of what might still be possible.
The pain began around four years ago and was initially diagnosed as a meniscus tear. Biswas, who lives in Hong Kong’s New Territories, wrongly assumed it would settle.
“I actually just continued with my daily routine, my exercises, to the extent that the pain became unbearable and I found it difficult to walk,” she says.

Scans later revealed a more serious picture: ligament damage in both knees, cartilage damage and bone-on-bone osteoarthritis. Her case bounced between specialists.
“It was like ping pong between the rheumatologist and the orthopaedic surgeons,” she says. “The rheumatologist told me it was a problem for the orthopaedic surgeon. The orthopaedic surgeon kept saying it was a problem because of arthritis.”
Seeking clarity, Biswas travelled to India, where doctors confirmed the ligament damage and cautiously suggested knee replacement surgery.
“They were very hesitant because of my age,” says Biswas, who is now 48. “Even the doctors here in Hong Kong said that if possible, carrying on with medication and exercises would be the best because I am apparently too young for a knee replacement.”
Back in Hong Kong, Biswas entered the government healthcare system. She waited two years for an appointment in a process she found slow and difficult.
By then, her quality of life had been profoundly affected. “The knee pain impacted my life adversely in many ways,” she says. “I could not walk. I could not continue with my yoga routine, my dance routine.”
Simple daily activities became painful. Sitting on the floor with her students, which is essential when working with young children, was no longer possible.
“Even walking small, short distances was very, very painful,” she says. “I needed a walking frame for a few days. I needed a cane to walk.”
Despite this, Biswas continued working, supported by understanding colleagues and her line manager. She adapted where she could, avoiding sitting on the ground, resting her leg on a chair and icing it during the day. Painkillers and injections brought little relief.
“Nothing seemed to work,” she says.

At her lowest point, Biswas felt defeated. “There was a time when I was very disappointed with life,” she says. “I was like, ‘OK, my life’s over.’”
When her rheumatologist suggested exercise, it felt unrealistic.
“He kept telling me, ‘I know you can’t bend your knee, but I feel you should try exercises. They are really going to help,’” she says.
With surgery off the table and a strong desire to avoid long-term reliance on painkillers, Biswas agreed to try physiotherapy.
The early sessions were brutal. “I remember I used to be in tears at the end of it,” she says. “I could not even walk back from the hospital home initially.” But she persisted, and gradually the exercises began to help.
The focus was on strengthening the muscles around the knee rather than stressing the joint itself. Wall-based exercises, resistance bands, calf strengthening and step work became central to Biswas’ routine.
Physiotherapy continued for almost a year. Alongside it, Biswas succeeded in losing some weight, going from 92kg to 74kg by changing her diet. She is married with two children, and her injury meant she was unable to go on hikes with them.
After 18 months, she was able to walk without a cane and was taking far fewer painkillers. Today, she can walk for up to 45 minutes at a time and manages daily life independently.
“Three years ago, I used a wheelchair to travel at the airport, but now I no longer need it,” she says. “I’m very confident that I can walk across the airport by myself.”
Biswas remains realistic about her limits and adapts her activity when pain or swelling flares.
“It’s not that when I’m in pain, I stop my exercises,” she says. “I just adapt what I’m doing on a regular basis.”

Her experience reflects a growing body of evidence suggesting that exercise can play a central role in managing knee osteoarthritis.
A large clinical trial published in The BMJ medical journal in January 2026 found that people with painful knee osteoarthritis who followed an exercise and self-management programme experienced improvements in pain and function, with some additional benefit seen when supportive interventions – such as wearing a knee brace – were added.
The study emphasised that improvements were often modest, but researchers noted that this could make a difference in daily life and independent living.
For Biswas, exercise is the cornerstone of managing her condition. She still experiences pain and swelling but rarely takes painkillers, starting with mild medication when needed.
Perhaps most importantly, her confidence has returned: “I am thinking I might restart my dance classes,” she says.
Once resigned to a life defined by pain and limitation, she is hopeful again, thanks to regaining strength and movement.
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Wellness

Kavita Biswas could barely walk short distances before she started physiotherapy and resistance training to strengthen the muscles around her knee. Now the osteoarthritis sufferer can walk for up to 45 minutes at a time and manages her daily life independently. Photo: Kavita Biswas

By the time Biswas had reached her mid-forties, her knee had become so painful that simple daily activities were difficult. Sitting on the floor with her students was no longer possible. Photo: Kavita Biswas

When first diagnosed with a probable meniscus tear, Biswas found even short walks unbearable. Now she is able to cross this bridge near her home on her own. Photo: Kavita Biswas

Doctors confirmed that Biswas had knee ligament damage, but were hesitant to recommend a knee replacement because of her relatively young age. Photo: Shutterstock

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Payet on a diving trip in Bali in June 2023. Photo: Ben Payet

Payet with his personal trainer, Hendrick Phua, in August 2025, after losing 21kg. Photo: UP Singapore

Payet runs in a half-marathon in Singapore in January 2026. He was told he would probably never be able to run again after a suspected meniscus tear. Photo: Ben Payet

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Payet uses the Ventrickle app, which estimates the macros of food items in popular Singapore restaurants and can provide a breakdown of nutrients and calories from analysing food photos. Photo: ventrickle.com

Payet takes part in a Hyrox event in Osaka, Japan, in January 2026. Photo: Ben Payet

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Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

With surgery off the table, Hong Kong-based Kavita Biswas forced herself to strengthen the muscles around the knee


With surgery off the table, Hong Kong-based Kavita Biswas forced herself to strengthen the muscles around the knee.


How exercise helped a mother tackle serious knee pain and return to cane-free walking

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}With surgery off the table, Hong Kong-based Kavita Biswas forced herself to strengthen the muscles around the knee

With surgery off the table, Hong Kong-based Kavita Biswas forced herself to strengthen the muscles around the knee