How Your Shoes Can Reduce Knee Pain

How Your Shoes Can Reduce Knee Pain

For those dealing with knee pain, picking certain footwear is more than just searching for an appealing color and perfect size, as they can also affect how your knees feel and how they function. It has been shown that the type of shoes you wear can impact how much pressure you are applying on the knee joints, either making knee pain better or very much so worse. Here are some tips on how to find shoes that can reduce your knee pain:

Well-Cushioned and Supportive

Shoes that have added padding are going to be better for those who have knee pain, because supportive cushioning absorbs the force of standing, walking, etc., helping to reduce shock. Shoes that are well-padded can decrease the impact on the body from walking on surfaces that have no give, such as sidewalk or cement. 

Inspect the Sole

A type of gate that many people with low arches experience is called overpronation. This causes the knee and lower leg to rotate inward every time the foot hits the ground. This rotation can eventually develop into knee pain and strain, especially if shoes are not supportive of the knees. One way to check and see if you have overpronation is by looking at a pair of old shoes. If there is plenty of wear on the inner side or the heels angle inward, this is a sign that you probably do.

Be Mindful of Harmful Choices

High heels are stylish and can be fun, but they are certainly not conducive to proper knee health. In fact, studies show that high heels put enough force on the kneecap to significantly cause pain and trauma. So if you’re walking around in high heels often and have knee pain, it should come as no surprise to hear that maybe it’s time to find more supportive yet still stylish options.

Many of us don’t realize that we may be doing something to adversely impact the health of our knees. As a knee surgeon, like one from Premier Osteoarthritis Centers of Pennsylvania, has seen before, when people wear shoes that aren’t supportive, over time serious knee and other joint-related problems are likely to arise.