A small change in the way people walk, involving just a few degrees of foot angle, reduced knee pain significantly over one year, according to a study published in The Lancet Rheumatology. Researchers from the University of Utah, NYU Langone Health, and Stanford University studied 68 people with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis.
The researchers used motion-capture technology to calculate the perfect foot angle for each person individually, rather than giving everyone the same instruction as earlier studies had done. Half the participants were trained to adjust their walking style using a vibrating device on the shin that provided real-time feedback during treadmill training. The other half continued walking normally.
After one year, the group that changed their walk reduced their pain by about 2.5 points on a 10-point scale, compared to just over one point in the control group. MRI scans showed that cartilage breakdown slowed in people who changed their walking technique.
The pain relief was comparable to common painkillers. However, the treatment requires expensive laboratory equipment to calculate each person's ideal foot angle. The researchers suggest that AI software using smartphone video might eventually make this treatment available in regular clinics. This noninvasive approach could help delay knee replacement surgery for many people suffering from osteoarthritis.