Various studies have been conducted on how shoes contribute to knee pain, so we can look at research to determine the best choices. This article reviews key attributes of knee-friendly shoes and typical ways that certain categories of shoes impact joint comfort, closing with a look at the best knee pain treatment in Orlando.
3 Attributes of Knee-Friendly Shoes
Many people wonder how they might be able to change their footwear in order to reduce stress on their knees that leads to arthritis symptoms. A study on that topic was conducted at Rush Medical College and published in Arthritis and Rheumatism in 2008. The researchers evaluated knee stress when wearing three types of shoes: ones that mimicked barefoot walking, self-selected comfortable ones, and specialized stability shoes. They found that the stress was lower with the ones that simulated barefoot walking than for the stability shoes or the self-chosen ones.
A second study looked at flip-flops, soft-soled walking shoes, stability shoes, and clogs. Again, the researchers found that the barefoot style created the lowest joint stress.
The study authors suggested that the key reasons there was additional stress with certain shoes was because they lacked flexibility and had too substantial of heels. Given these findings, you should be able to get knee pain relief with shoes that are designed to resemble barefoot walking, have flexible soles, and have low heels.
Knee Pain and Different Shoe Types
The impact of different styles of shoes on knee stress can, in turn, impact the amount of pain that you feel. The typical impacts of common shoe types are as follows:
• Flip-flops – Flip-flops are flexible, allowing for more natural foot movement. While wearing them, you can better feel the ground, improving muscular function. A study published in Arthritis Care and Research in July 2010 found that flip-flops led to lower knee stress than did high heels or stability shoes.
• High heels – The amount of weight and stress that is incurred by your knees rises when you wear high heels, per a March 2015 study in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research.
• Athletic shoes – You can find two basic types of athletic shoes, ones that are more minimalist and ones that are called stability shoes. The latter does not allow as much motion in your feet, leading to greater stress. Minimalist styles, with a thin and flat approach, allow for more natural foot movement while walking.
• Clogs – Clogs are often marketed as supportive footwear. However, like stability shoes, they restrict movement, resulting in additional joint stress.
Beyond Shoes: Knee Pain Treatment in Orlando
Changing your shoes is an important do-it-yourself way to reduce your knee pain. However, you still may feel that your joint pain is infringing on your quality of life. At ViscoGen in Orlando, our non-surgical KneeVisc 5® treatment provides safe and effective knee pain relief. Contact us today!
