When it comes to easing the pain of arthritic knees the choice of footwear matters.
When it comes to easing the pain of arthritic knees the choice of footwear matters.
Injuries, overuse, excess weight and aging all contribute to osteoarthritis. Knee osteoarthritis is particularly common, and can be disabling. A person's weight is a key factor in the development of arthritis of the knee. Abnormal loading can worsen wear and tear and add to joint pain, while reducing joint loading can help ease pain.
Past studies had found that people walking barefoot had less loading on their knees than people wearing shoes. To investigate further, researchers from America analysed the gait of 48 people with knee osteoarthritis as they walked barefoot and then as they wore four different types of shoes. The researchers recorded the forces acting upon the inner, or medial, side of the knee joint, which typically carried three times as much load as the outer, or lateral, side of the knee.
It was found that flatter shoes with flexible soles were easier on the knees than clogs or walking shoes. Clogs and stability shoes produced the highest knee loading, while knee loads were lightest with barefoot walking, flip flops and flexible-sole sneakers. The reduction in loads with the latter shoe types was comparable to that produced by therapies designed to reduce knee loading such as braces and shoe inserts called orthotics.
The study found that the choice of the footwear affects the stress related to wear and tear of the knee joint, and comfortable shoes could be useful in presenting osteoarthritis, though more research is needed on this.
Injuries, overuse, excess weight and aging all contribute to osteoarthritis. Knee osteoarthritis is particularly common, and can be disabling. A person's weight is a key factor in the development of arthritis of the knee. Abnormal loading can worsen wear and tear and add to joint pain, while reducing joint loading can help ease pain.
Past studies had found that people walking barefoot had less loading on their knees than people wearing shoes. To investigate further, researchers from America analysed the gait of 48 people with knee osteoarthritis as they walked barefoot and then as they wore four different types of shoes. The researchers recorded the forces acting upon the inner, or medial, side of the knee joint, which typically carried three times as much load as the outer, or lateral, side of the knee.
It was found that flatter shoes with flexible soles were easier on the knees than clogs or walking shoes. Clogs and stability shoes produced the highest knee loading, while knee loads were lightest with barefoot walking, flip flops and flexible-sole sneakers. The reduction in loads with the latter shoe types was comparable to that produced by therapies designed to reduce knee loading such as braces and shoe inserts called orthotics.
The study found that the choice of the footwear affects the stress related to wear and tear of the knee joint, and comfortable shoes could be useful in presenting osteoarthritis, though more research is needed on this.
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