I’ve visited a lot of people at home who have been managing knee pain quietly for months, sometimes years, before anyone suggested they see a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist.
They’ve taken pain relief when the knee gets bad. They’ve stopped walking as much. They’ve given up the activities they enjoyed because the pain makes them feel like they should be resting. And they’ve often been told by a well-meaning GP or orthopaedic surgeon that the knee will eventually need replacing.
That conversation, the one where a person is told their knee will wear out and there’s not much to be done until surgery becomes necessary, is one I think about a lot. Not because it’s wrong, but because it’s incomplete.
The research tells a different story. Exercise, delivered correctly and consistently through physiotherapy and exercise physiology, is the most effective treatment available for knee osteoarthritis across all stages of the condition. It reduces pain, restores function, improves strength, and in many people makes a meaningful difference to their ability to walk, climb stairs, garden, and do the things that matter to them.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, more than 2.1 million Australians are living with osteoarthritis, and the knee is the most commonly affected joint. The economic and human cost is enormous. But what gives me genuine confidence in this space is the quality of the solutions that physiotherapy and exercise physiology offer.
This article explains what knee osteoarthritis is, why movement is the cornerstone of treatment, what physiotherapy and exercise physiology each involve, and how to access care through Medicare, the NDIS, and the Support at Home program in Australia.
If you’re considering surgery or have been referred for a knee replacement, please speak to your medical professional about your full range of options. Allied health is an important part of the picture, but your doctor is the right person to guide decisions about your surgical pathway.
Knee Osteoarthritis: At a Glance
| What it is | Gradual breakdown of cartilage in the knee joint, causing pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced mobility |
| How common | More than 2.1 million Australians living with OA. Knee is the most commonly affected joint (AIHW 2024). |
| Best treatment | Exercise, delivered through physiotherapy and exercise physiology, is the most effective treatment at all stages |
| Key program | GLA:D Australia: structured education and exercise program with strong evidence for knee OA |
| Before surgery | The 2024 ACSQHC Clinical Care Standard states patients should receive exercise support before and alongside any surgical pathway |
| NDIS funding | Physio and EP funded under Capacity Building: Improved Daily Living (physio: 15_055_0128_1_3) |
| Aged care | Both services available under Support at Home program (commenced 1 November 2025) |
| Home visits | Available across Sydney through Fleet Healthcare for private, NDIS, and aged care clients |
Key Takeaways
- Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint condition affecting more than 2.1 million Australians. The knee is the most commonly affected joint.
- Exercise is the most effective treatment for knee OA at all stages of the condition. It reduces pain, improves strength, restores function, and is recommended in every major Australian clinical guideline.
- Physiotherapy addresses pain, movement, muscle function, and load management through hands-on treatment, tailored exercise programs, and education.
- Exercise physiology delivers structured progressive exercise programs including resistance training and the GLA:D program, which has strong evidence specifically for knee OA.
- The 2024 Osteoarthritis of the Knee Clinical Care Standard from the ACSQHC confirms that allied health exercise support should be provided before and alongside any surgical pathway. Decisions about surgery should be made with your medical professional.
- Mobile physiotherapy and exercise physiology are particularly well suited to people with knee OA who find travel painful or difficult. Treatment at home means working in the actual environment where function matters most.
Table of Contents
- What Is Knee Osteoarthritis? A Plain English Explanation
- How Common Is Knee OA in Australia and Who Is Most Affected?
- Why Exercise Is the Cornerstone of Knee OA Treatment
- What Physiotherapy for Knee OA Involves
- What Exercise Physiology for Knee OA Involves
- How Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology Work Together
- The GLA:D Program: What It Is and How to Access It in Australia
- What to Expect at Your First Appointment
- When Surgery Becomes Relevant and How Allied Health Fits In
- Funding Options: Medicare, NDIS, Support at Home, and Private
- Common Misunderstandings
- FAQs
What Is Knee Osteoarthritis? A Plain English Explanation
Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones within a joint gradually breaks down. In the knee, this means the smooth cartilage covering the ends of the femur, tibia, and patella thins and deteriorates over time.
Without that cushioning layer, the joint moves differently. Bone surfaces come into closer contact. Inflammation develops. New bone can form at the edges of the joint as small growths called osteophytes.
According to Healthdirect Australia, osteoarthritis is a chronic condition that tends to worsen over time if not actively managed. But what most people don’t realise is that pain in knee OA isn’t only caused by cartilage damage itself. Inflammation of the joint lining, changes in surrounding muscles and tendons, altered movement patterns, and sensitisation of the nervous system all contribute to the pain experience.
This is clinically important because it means the condition is much more responsive to treatment than the structural X-ray appearance suggests.
Many people are shown their knee X-ray and told they have a bone on bone joint, and they understandably assume this means pain is inevitable and permanent. But research consistently shows that the relationship between X-ray findings and pain is weak. People with significant structural changes on imaging often have relatively little pain, while others with mild X-ray changes can be significantly disabled. The X-ray shows the joint. It doesn’t tell you how much pain a person will have, or how well they’ll respond to treatment.
Knee OA typically produces pain during or after weight-bearing activity, stiffness after periods of rest, reduced range of motion, swelling after activity, and sometimes a sensation of grinding or catching in the joint. In the early and moderate stages, these symptoms are very responsive to exercise-based management.
How Common Is Knee OA in Australia and Who Is Most Affected?
Knee OA is the most prevalent form of osteoarthritis in Australia and one of the most common causes of pain and disability in the community. The AIHW reports that approximately 2.1 million Australians are living with osteoarthritis, with the knee the most commonly affected joint. The burden is growing. Research published in the Internal Medicine Journal estimated that knee OA prevalence in Australia increased by 126 per cent between 1990 and 2019.
Who is most likely to develop knee OA
- Age: risk increases sharply from age 45 and is considerably higher among people over 65
- Sex: knee OA is more common in women than men, a difference that becomes more pronounced after age 50
- Previous injury: ligament tears, meniscus damage, or fractures significantly increase the risk of OA in that joint in later life
- Body weight: higher body weight increases knee joint load and is one of the most modifiable risk factors for both development and progression
- Occupation and activity history: prolonged kneeling, squatting, repetitive knee loading, or high-impact activity is associated with increased risk
- Genetics: family history of OA increases individual risk
Knee OA is also increasingly affecting younger Australians, particularly those with a history of sport-related knee injury. Appropriate management is relevant well before the aged care framing that often dominates the conversation.
Why Exercise Is the Cornerstone of Knee OA Treatment
The most well-established fact in knee OA management: exercise works. Not as a placeholder until something better becomes available, and not as an afterthought alongside medication. Exercise, delivered in the right form and at the right intensity, is the most effective treatment available for knee osteoarthritis across all stages of the condition.
This isn’t a niche clinical opinion. It’s the conclusion of multiple systematic reviews, the basis of Australian clinical guidelines from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and the central recommendation of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
The Osteoarthritis of the Knee Clinical Care Standard 2024, released by the ACSQHC and endorsed by 22 professional and consumer organisations, is explicit: patients with knee osteoarthritis should receive education and support for physical activity and exercise as a core component of their care. The standard also states that patients referred for surgery should have access to a health professional with exercise expertise as part of their care pathway.
Why exercise helps
- Strengthening muscles around the joint: the quadriceps and hip abductor muscles provide crucial support to the knee. Weakness in these muscles increases joint load and pain. Targeted strengthening directly addresses this.
- Reducing inflammation: regular exercise has anti-inflammatory effects that extend beyond the knee, reducing the overall inflammatory burden that contributes to OA pain.
- Improving joint lubrication: movement promotes the circulation of synovial fluid, which lubricates the joint and nourishes the remaining cartilage.
- Reducing pain sensitisation: structured exercise influences the central nervous system in ways that reduce the amplification of pain signals, a key driver of chronic knee pain in OA.
- Improving function and confidence: as strength and movement improve, people can do more. The cycle of pain, avoidance, and deconditioning that characterises poorly managed knee OA begins to reverse.
One common concern I hear a lot: will exercise damage an arthritic knee? The answer is no. Appropriate, guided exercise is safe and protective of the joint, not harmful to it. This concern, that movement will accelerate joint wear, is one of the most persistent myths in this space.
What Physiotherapy for Knee OA Involves
Physiotherapy for knee osteoarthritis isn’t a generic set of exercises. It’s an individualised assessment and treatment program built around the specific presentation, functional goals, and home environment of the person being treated.
Assessment
The physiotherapist begins with a detailed history of the knee pain: when it started, what makes it better or worse, which activities are most affected, and what the person’s goals are. They assess knee range of motion, the strength of the quadriceps and surrounding musculature, gait and movement quality, and the degree of pain during functional tasks. For a mobile physiotherapist visiting the home, this includes observing the person navigate their actual living environment: stairs, the distance from the bedroom to the bathroom, how they get up from their usual chair. That context shapes everything.
Strength and conditioning
Targeted strengthening of the quadriceps, gluteal muscles, and hip abductors is the most evidence-based physiotherapy intervention for knee OA. The physiotherapist prescribes exercises at an appropriate resistance level, teaches correct technique, and progresses the program as strength improves. These exercises are designed around the individual’s current capacity and the equipment available in their home.
Manual therapy
Hands-on techniques including joint mobilisation, soft tissue therapy, and patellar taping can reduce pain and improve movement in the short term. Manual therapy works best when combined with exercise rather than used as a standalone approach. Physiotherapists use it strategically to reduce pain enough to allow full engagement with the exercise component of the program.
Load management and gait retraining
How a person walks, climbs stairs, and loads their knee affects how much pain they experience. Physiotherapists assess movement patterns and provide specific guidance on how to modify activities to reduce pain while maintaining function. This might include gait retraining, advice on walking aids, activity pacing strategies, and guidance on returning to specific activities.
Education and self-management
Understanding why the knee hurts, why movement helps rather than harms, and how to manage symptoms between sessions is critical. People who understand their condition manage it better. Our article on what is mobile physiotherapy explains how home visit physiotherapy works and what makes it well-suited to conditions like knee OA where travel itself can be a barrier to consistent care.
Fleet Healthcare’s physiotherapy team provides mobile knee OA assessment and treatment across Sydney, including for clients who find clinic attendance difficult due to pain, distance, or mobility.
What Exercise Physiology for Knee OA Involves
Exercise physiology sits alongside physiotherapy as one of the two primary allied health disciplines for knee OA management. Exercise physiologists specialise in structured, progressive exercise programming for people managing chronic conditions, and their scope is particularly well aligned with the longer-term lifestyle and conditioning goals of knee OA management.
Progressive resistance training
The core intervention is progressive resistance training: structured, progressively loaded exercise targeting the muscles that support and protect the knee. The exercise physiologist designs a program calibrated to the person’s current capacity, progressed systematically over time, and monitored for response. The goal isn’t just pain relief but a genuine improvement in muscle strength, functional capacity, and long-term joint health.
Cardiovascular conditioning
Regular aerobic activity is recommended for knee OA both for its direct anti-inflammatory effects and for broader health benefits including weight management, cardiovascular health, and mood. Exercise physiologists develop cardiovascular programs appropriate for the individual’s knee presentation: low-impact options such as cycling, swimming, or walking programs that build fitness without excessive joint loading.
Weight management support
Body weight is one of the most significant modifiable factors in knee OA. Every kilogram of body weight reduction corresponds to a meaningful reduction in load through the knee joint during walking and stair climbing. Exercise physiologists, often working alongside dietitians, develop programs that support sustainable weight management alongside knee OA management.
Functional movement retraining
Exercise physiologists work on functional movement patterns that affect knee loading: sit to stand technique, stair negotiation, walking mechanics, and the ability to perform daily tasks safely and with less pain. Fleet Healthcare’s exercise physiology team delivers mobile home visit programs for knee OA across Sydney.
How Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology Work Together
The question of whether to see a physiotherapist or an exercise physiologist for knee OA comes up regularly. The straightforward answer: the two disciplines are complementary, not competing, and many people benefit from both.
When physiotherapy tends to be the primary entry point
Physiotherapy is typically the most appropriate first step when knee pain is more acute, when movement is significantly restricted, when pain is limiting the ability to exercise at all, or when there’s a specific mechanical issue such as patellar tracking problems or gait abnormalities that need targeted assessment and hands-on treatment.
When exercise physiology is the primary focus
Exercise physiology is particularly well-suited to the longer-term conditioning phase: once pain is better managed and the person is ready to engage with a structured, progressive program. For people whose main goal is building strength, improving fitness, and managing knee OA as a chronic condition over the long term, exercise physiology delivers a depth of programming expertise specifically designed for this purpose.
Working together
In many cases, the most effective approach involves both: an initial physiotherapy phase to address pain, restore movement, and establish a home exercise program, followed by referral to an exercise physiologist for ongoing progressive conditioning. Fleet Healthcare provides both physiotherapy and exercise physiology as mobile home visit services across Sydney, making it straightforward to access both disciplines through a single provider.
The GLA:D Program: What It Is and How to Access It in Australia
GLA:D stands for Good Life with osteoArthritis in Denmark. It’s a structured education and exercise program developed specifically for people with hip and knee osteoarthritis, adapted for the Australian context, and one of the most evidence-supported programs available for this condition.
The program consists of two educational sessions on osteoarthritis and its management, and six weeks of group neuromuscular exercise sessions twice a week. The exercises specifically target the movement and muscle function deficits that characterise hip and knee OA.
What the evidence shows for GLA:D
- Significant reductions in pain and improved quality of life in the majority of participants
- Improved self-reported function and physical performance
- High participant satisfaction and adherence rates
- Reductions in the use of pain medication
- Positive outcomes maintained at 12 months follow-up in most participants
GLA:D is delivered by physiotherapists and exercise physiologists who have completed accredited GLA:D training. For people who can’t access a group program due to mobility limitations, the evidence-based principles of GLA:D can be integrated into an individualised home-based program by a trained clinician.
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
Whether you book physiotherapy or exercise physiology for knee OA, the first session is primarily an assessment. Knowing what to expect helps you come prepared and get more from the consultation.
What the clinician needs to know
They’ll ask how long the knee has been painful, what activities make it worse, whether the pain wakes you at night, what you’ve already tried, and what your goals are. They’ll want to know about other health conditions, current medications, and whether you’ve had any imaging done. If you have X-rays or an MRI report, bring them if you can, but don’t worry if you don’t. Assessment is based on clinical examination, not just imaging.
What the examination involves
The clinician will assess your knee range of motion, the strength of your quadriceps and hip muscles, how you walk, how you rise from a chair, and how you manage stairs if applicable. They’ll palpate around the knee to identify areas of tenderness, assess for signs of swelling, and screen for any presentations that warrant referral for further medical assessment before proceeding.
The home visit advantage for knee OA
For many people with knee OA, getting to a clinic is genuinely challenging. Pain on walking, difficulty getting in and out of a car, and fatigue following sustained activity can mean that by the time a person reaches a clinic, they’re already more symptomatic than they’d be at home.
Receiving assessment and treatment at home means the clinician sees the person in their actual environment, at a realistic level of pain, and can observe the real barriers to function including stairs, floor surfaces, chair heights, and home layout. If someone can’t safely manage the three steps from their back door to the garden, that’s the functional goal that matters, and it can only be properly assessed and addressed when the clinician has seen those three steps.
When Surgery Becomes Relevant and How Allied Health Fits In
Most people with knee OA don’t end up needing a knee replacement, particularly when they engage with appropriate conservative management early. This is consistent with the evidence and with the experience of clinicians working in this space.
For a proportion of people, particularly those with severe structural joint damage and pain that hasn’t responded adequately to conservative management, knee replacement surgery is the right decision and can dramatically improve quality of life. Whether surgery is the right option for you, and at what point in your journey, is a conversation to have with your GP, orthopaedic surgeon, or specialist. That’s where surgical decisions belong.
What allied health provides is the best possible foundation, whether surgery is part of the plan or not.
Prehabilitation: exercise before surgery
People who are stronger and more physically conditioned at the time of surgery recover faster, regain function more quickly, and have better long-term outcomes. Physiotherapy and exercise physiology in the period leading up to a planned knee replacement, called prehabilitation, builds this physical reserve. The goals are to maximise quadriceps and hip strength before the operation, establish a home exercise routine that continues through recovery, and address any gait or movement patterns that will affect post-surgical rehabilitation.
The 2024 ACSQHC Clinical Care Standard is explicit: health services should ensure patients referred for surgery have access to a health professional with exercise expertise as part of their care pathway. This is now the national clinical standard in Australia. If you’ve been referred for a knee replacement and haven’t been offered exercise-based support either before or as part of your pathway, it’s appropriate to ask your medical team about it.
Funding Options: Medicare, NDIS, Support at Home, and Private
Medicare: Chronic Disease Management plan
If your knee OA is managed as a chronic condition by your GP, they can create a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan that provides access to up to five rebated allied health sessions per calendar year. Both physiotherapy and exercise physiology are eligible services under the CDM plan. Our article on whether Medicare covers physiotherapy in Australia explains the CDM pathway in detail, including what qualifies and how to access it.
NDIS
NDIS participants can access physiotherapy (item code 15_055_0128_1_3) and exercise physiology under Capacity Building: Improved Daily Living where the condition is related to the participant’s disability or significantly affects their functional capacity and daily living goals. According to the NDIS therapy supports page, these supports must be reasonable and necessary and directly linked to disability goals.
Support at Home
Older Australians receiving services under the Support at Home program, which replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025, can access physiotherapy and exercise physiology as funded allied health services within their individual care budget, where they are included in the care plan and clinically appropriate.
Private health insurance and self-funded
Many private health insurance extras policies include physiotherapy and exercise physiology. Check your policy for the specific annual limit and rebate amount. Fleet Healthcare also accepts self-funded private clients directly, with transparent pricing provided upfront. No referral is required for a private booking.
Common Misunderstandings
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| Exercise will damage an arthritic knee | Appropriate, guided exercise is safe for knee OA at all stages. The evidence shows exercise is protective of the joint, not harmful. The concern that movement accelerates wear is not supported by clinical research. |
| X-ray findings tell you how much pain you’ll have | The relationship between X-ray appearance and pain is weak. People with significant structural changes often have little pain; others with mild changes can be significantly disabled. Clinical function is a much better guide. |
| You just have to wait until it’s bad enough for a knee replacement | Most people with knee OA don’t end up needing surgery, particularly with appropriate conservative management. Exercise therapy through physiotherapy and exercise physiology is effective at all stages of the condition. |
| Rest is the best approach for knee pain | Rest alone leads to muscle weakness and deconditioning, which increases joint load and pain. Active management consistently outperforms rest for knee OA. |
| Physiotherapy and exercise physiology do the same thing | There’s significant overlap in exercise prescription, but physiotherapy typically leads when pain is more acute and hands-on assessment is needed. Exercise physiology specialises in longer-term progressive conditioning programs. Both are evidence-based and complementary. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a knee replacement?
The majority of people with knee osteoarthritis don’t ultimately require a knee replacement, particularly when they engage with appropriate conservative management. Exercise-based treatment through physiotherapy and exercise physiology is the most effective intervention for knee OA at all stages. A knee replacement may become the right decision for some people when severe structural damage and persistent pain haven’t responded adequately to comprehensive conservative management. This is a conversation to have with your GP or orthopaedic surgeon, who can assess your specific situation and guide you through your options.
Can physiotherapy help with knee osteoarthritis?
Yes, significantly. Physiotherapy for knee OA addresses pain, muscle weakness, movement restriction, gait patterns, and load management through targeted exercise, manual therapy, and education. The evidence base is strong and consistent across multiple systematic reviews. Improvements in pain and function are achievable across all stages of the condition.
What is the difference between physiotherapy and exercise physiology for knee OA?
Physiotherapy tends to be the initial entry point when pain is more acute, movement is significantly restricted, or hands-on assessment and treatment is needed. Exercise physiology specialises in structured, progressive exercise programming for chronic conditions and is particularly well suited to the longer-term strength and conditioning phase of knee OA management. Both are evidence-based and complementary, and many people benefit from both at different stages.
What is the GLA:D program and is it available in Australia?
GLA:D (Good Life with osteoArthritis in Denmark) is a structured education and exercise program designed specifically for hip and knee osteoarthritis. It involves two education sessions and six weeks of neuromuscular exercise sessions twice a week. The program has strong evidence for reducing pain, improving function, and reducing medication use. It’s available in Australia and delivered by accredited physiotherapists and exercise physiologists. For people who can’t access a group program, the principles of GLA:D can be delivered as an individualised home-based program.
How many physio sessions do I need for knee osteoarthritis?
There’s no fixed number. Frequency and duration depend on the severity of the condition, the person’s goals, and how they respond to treatment. Some people achieve significant improvement with a small number of sessions focused on establishing a home exercise program. Others benefit from more regular sessions over a longer period. Your physiotherapist will advise based on your assessment.
Can Medicare cover physiotherapy for knee osteoarthritis?
Yes, in certain circumstances. If your GP creates a Chronic Disease Management plan for knee OA as a chronic condition, you can access up to five rebated allied health sessions per calendar year including physiotherapy and exercise physiology. A GP referral and CDM plan are required. For more detail, see our article on whether Medicare covers physiotherapy in Australia.
Can the NDIS fund physiotherapy for knee osteoarthritis?
Yes, where knee OA is related to a participant’s disability or significantly affects their disability-related functional goals. Physiotherapy and exercise physiology are both funded under Capacity Building: Improved Daily Living and must be reasonable and necessary. Refer to the NDIS therapy supports page for further detail, or speak to your support coordinator.
Is exercise safe if I have knee osteoarthritis?
Yes. Exercise is safe for people with knee osteoarthritis at all stages of the condition. The concern that movement will accelerate joint damage is not supported by the evidence. Appropriate, guided exercise is protective of the joint, not harmful. The key is that the program should be tailored to your presentation, delivered at the right intensity, and progressed appropriately.
Can a physiotherapist come to my home for knee OA treatment?
Yes. Fleet Healthcare provides mobile physiotherapy and exercise physiology for knee OA across Sydney. Home visits are available for private clients, NDIS participants, and aged care recipients under the Support at Home program. Visit our physiotherapy service page to book an assessment.
What is prehabilitation and does it improve knee replacement outcomes?
Prehabilitation is exercise-based conditioning undertaken before a planned knee replacement. People who are stronger and more physically prepared at the time of surgery recover faster and tend to have better long-term outcomes. Physiotherapy and exercise physiology are both used for prehabilitation. If you’re on a waiting list for a knee replacement, starting a supervised exercise program now is one of the most useful steps you can take. Speak to your medical team about including prehabilitation in your pre-surgical plan.
Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common, most painful, and most disabling conditions I see across our clinical team. It’s also, in many cases, one of the most manageable, when people get the right support at the right time and understand what treatment can genuinely offer.
The narrative around knee OA in Australia has for too long been dominated by a passive message: the knee is wearing out, there’s not much to do, wait and see how bad it gets. That message doesn’t reflect the evidence. Exercise works. Physiotherapy works. Exercise physiology works. The 2024 Osteoarthritis of the Knee Clinical Care Standard says so plainly, and it’s the national clinical benchmark for how knee OA should be managed in this country.
What I want people to take from this article is that there’s something practical and effective they can do about knee OA pain right now. They don’t need to wait until it gets worse. They don’t need to accept a smaller, more limited life because their knee hurts.
And if surgery is part of your pathway, that’s a decision for you and your medical team. What allied health can do is make sure you go into that decision, and come out of it, in the strongest possible position.
Fleet Healthcare physiotherapists and exercise physiologists provide mobile home visit treatment for knee osteoarthritis across Sydney. We work with private clients, NDIS participants, and aged care recipients under the Support at Home program. Visit our physiotherapy and exercise physiology service pages to learn more, or book a consultation today.
Author Bio
Alexander Hunt is the Founder and Managing Director of Fleet Healthcare. As a practising physiotherapist, he brings over a decade of experience across NDIS, aged care, and mobile allied health. Alex is passionate about delivering care that meets people where they are and helps them thrive in their everyday environment.
Professional Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. While we aim to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, professional standards, funding arrangements, eligibility criteria, and regulatory frameworks may change and may vary between providers and governing bodies. Any references to funding or service access are general in nature and should be confirmed directly with the relevant provider or authority. Fleet Healthcare Services Pty Ltd accepts no liability for actions taken based on the information provided in this article.
