Consider recommending orthotics to your patients for knee pain
Foot orthotics are an arch support, insert, or other device that fit into your shoes. They can change foot biomechanics and correct misalignment, and there are many benefits to their use. Specifically, orthotics make a significant impact on reducing and eliminating knee pain in a variety of ways.
7 ways orthotics help knee pain
- Orthotics can change how stress is distributed through the foot and ankle as weight is more evenly distributed over the bottom of your feet. . Ultimately, this can change the distribution of force through your knee.
- Orthotics can be made of shock-absorbing material that reduces stress through the foot and ankle when you move.
- By changing the alignment of your feet and ankles, orthotics can change the alignment of your knees. For instance, orthotics can control excessive pronation (e.g., rolling in) of the foot, which can occur when you walk or run. When your foot pronates too far, it can cause your lower leg and knee to rotate internally. This can cause knee pain. By preventing your foot from improperly pronating, orthotics will improve your knee’s alignment.
- Orthotics can make up for biomechanical or structural issues in your ankles or feet.
- By limiting motion, orthotics can reduce wear and tear on joints.
- When you walk or run, inflammation in your foot’s sole (called the plantar fascia) can occur. To compensate, you may walk differently than usual–irritating knee joints. Orthotics promote proper movement.
- When you walk, it’s normal for your ankle to roll away from your body’s midline when your foot springs off the ground. This is called supination. If you have knee pain, however, supination can be excessive. As a result, you can get calluses or blisters. Orthotics can minimize rotation by properly aligning your foot at the ankle joint.
Orthotics are made of different materials in many price ranges. Newly purchased orthotics shouldn’t be worn daily. Patients should wear them increasingly over time to break them in and adjust to the new pressure under their feet. Patients often feel comfortable after three weeks of use. For patients experiencing knee pain, orthotics are a great option to reduce and eliminate the causes of knee pain and should be seriously considered as an option for patients suffering in this way.