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Finding the Right Shoe to Reduce Knee Pain

By Sandy Schroeder

If you, or someone in your family, struggles with severe knee pain, you know that help is always welcome. The sheer intensity of knee pain can slow people way down, often changing the way they live as they fight to keep moving.

Finding the Right Shoe

Harvard researchers have found wearing the right shoes can make a difference in the fight against knee pain. Custom shoes and regular walking shoes are both good solutions. There is a range of prices, so it is a good idea to test them out to get the best pair.

Researchers recommend custom shoes called “unloading shoes,” with stiffer soles and slightly tilted insoles to reposition the foot to relieve some of the strain on the knee.

But a recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that a good pair of walking shoes may work equally well. See how they feel and how well they perform for you.

What to Know

  • Get a shoe that is stable with a rigid sole and a supportive insole.
  • Get a slightly curved “rocker” sole that helps to more evenly distribute the weight of the body as you move. Be sure to test this style out, since this sole does not work for people who have balance problems.

Get a Good Fit

  • Look for a wide toe area with a lot of room in the part of the shoe known as the toe box.
  • Make sure the shoe is at least half an inch longer than the longest toe.
  • Check the heel area around the foot to make sure it does not slip, creating blisters and ongoing pain.
  • When testing the shoes, wear the socks you will be using when walking.

What Tests Showed

When these shoes were tested, 164 people, ages 50 or older, with knee arthritis, wore “unloading shoes” or regular walking shoes for six months.

Both types of shoes were found to work equally well. The pain reduction was about 25 percent and improved mobility about 22 percent. Both types of shoes cost about $180, but custom shoes can cost more.

Researchers say there are many shoe brands that will work. Harvard’s Dr. Holly Johnson said that it is so crucial to bone and joint health that knee patients continue to walk that the effort should be made to find the right shoe and use it. Without regular movement, knee pain can become progressively stiffer and more painful, creating an even greater challenge.

As you look for the right shoes, stay in touch with your doctor and your chiropractor. You might check in with them before you head out to shop, and then follow up with visits to assess the effects and monitor the ongoing condition of your knee pain. 

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