Knee pain can make staying active a real challenge, whether that means running, walking, or even just climbing the stairs. While medication can help, researchers have been exploring natural ways to reduce pain and joint stress. A new study from the University of Utah suggests there may be a simple solution: adjusting the way you walk
The research team found that people with knee osteoarthritis experienced pain relief comparable to medication by making a personalized adjustment to their foot angle while walking, either slightly turning the toes inward or outward, based on their individual gait analysis. Even better, participants were able to maintain the new walking style for over a year, which helped to reduce stress on their knees and slow down cartilage wear.
Lead researcher Brennen Stemper, a professor of mechanical engineering, explained, “Our findings show that a subtle change in gait can produce meaningful improvements for people living with knee osteoarthritis. It is not about walking differently all day, every day, but learning how to take pressure off the knee joint when it matters most.”
What is a walking gait?
Your gait is the way you walk, including how your foot strikes the ground and how your body moves with each step. Some people’s feet roll inward (overpronation), others outward (supination), and many fall somewhere in between. Adjusting your gait is essentially training your body to land in a way that takes pressure off vulnerable areas.
If you’ve looked at our guide to the best running shoes, you may have noticed a section on stability shoes, which are designed for overpronators to help reduce knee stress by guiding the gait.
So, should you start marching around the house with your toes pointing out? Not quite. In the study, any changes to walking style were personalized to each participant’s gait, so you should not try adjusting your walk on your own. The safest first step is to get a professional gait analysis from a medical specialist or physiotherapist, who can assess your movement and advise whether subtle adjustments could help.
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