Beating osteoarthritis knee pain: Beyond special shoes

We have plenty of fairy tales about shoes that work magic in people’s lives: glass slippers that brought love to Cinderella, and sparkly red heels that gave Dorothy powers in MGM’s version of The Wizard of Oz. In real life, footwear magic is limited to “unloading” shoes that may help relieve knee pain from osteoarthritis. These unloading shoes have stiffer soles, and slightly tilted insoles that reposition the foot, intended to reduce (or unload) strain on the knee. But a study published online July 12, 2016, in Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that unloading shoes are no better than a good pair of walking shoes at making pain disappear. About the study Researchers randomly assigned 164 people with knee arthritis (age 50 or older) to wear either new unloading shoes or new conventional walking shoes every day for six months. By the end of the study, it appeared that both types of shoes were equally effective at reducing pain and improving physical function, with pain reduced an average of about 25%, and function improved by about 22%. It didn’t prove that both shoes are equally effective, but an editorial accompanying the study says the findings highlight “the promise of simple biomechanical interventions” to address knee pain. Both shoes used in the study cost $180. But custom-made unloading shoes, and even custom-made insoles that can be inserted into a shoe, can cost many hundreds of dollars. What to look for in a walking shoe If you’re going to try a wa...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Exercise and Fitness Health Osteoarthritis Pain Management Source Type: news