Archive · 14 Aug 2025
Altering Foot Angle Can Reduce Knee Pain and Osteoarthritis
If you have knee arthritis, changing the way you walk might help.
A new study showed that subtly turning your feet inward or outward while walking can ease pain and slow down the wearing away of knee cartilage.
Researchers used specialized equipment to analyze walking patterns and then showed people how to adjust their foot angle.
This could be a simple, inexpensive way to help with early arthritis and potentially postpone surgery.
Adjusting foot angle while walking may reduce knee pain from osteoarthritis.
A study examined approximately 70 participants with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis.
Participants who altered their foot angle showed slower cartilage degeneration.
Those adjusting their gait experienced pain score reductions of 2.5 points on a 10-point scale.
This non-invasive treatment could possibly delay the need for surgery.
- Who
- Scientists studied approximately 70 individuals with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis.
- What
- Adjusting foot angle during walking to alleviate knee pain from osteoarthritis.
- When
- The study was published in The Lancet Rheumatology.
- Where
- The study involved researchers from NYU Langone Health, the University of Utah, and Stanford University.
- Why
- To evaluate whether adjusting foot angle during walking could lessen knee pain and slow cartilage degeneration.
Potential Benefits of Gait Modification
No opposing side viewpoints.
Gait Modification
Potential Benefits of Gait Modification
Adjusting foot angle during walking reduces knee pain and slows cartilage degeneration.
No opposing side viewpoints.
No direct opposing viewpoints were presented.
- Condition
- Knee Osteoarthritis
- Treatment
- Adjusting Foot Angle
- Study Participants
- 70
- Pain Reduction
- 2.5 points on a 10-point scale
- Potential Benefit
- Slower Cartilage Degeneration
- Possible Outcome
- Delay Surgery
