Osteoarthritis (OA), a wearing down of the joints, can be debilitating. The pain and stiffness that come with OA can limit everyday activities such as walking, going up and down stairs, squatting, doing housework and playing sports. OA can follow a previous surgery or injury, but it is often a result of aging.

What Can Be Done for Osteoarthritis?

The good news is there are several treatment options. Today we’ll look at exercise.

People with OA commonly have weakness in the muscles around the affected joint. With knee OA, for example, the muscles in the front and back of the thigh often become weak. A large body of research shows that targeted exercise for these muscles can reduce pain and stiffness and make daily activities easier.

Why Dosing Matters

It may seem counterintuitive to exercise a joint that is painful and stiff. The key is a physical therapist who knows how to dose exercise properly. Exercise works a lot like medication: too little won’t help, and too much can do harm. The dose has to be right to get the best effect.

Image spot (optional): therapist adjusting resistance on a leg exercise

What the Research Says

A recent review looked at how the intensity of knee exercise affects knee OA. It concluded that moderate-intensity exercise is the best choice for people with knee OA.

There are other factors you and your physical therapist will consider, such as whether the joint is currently inflamed, your previous activity level and how severe your symptoms are. A thorough history tells your therapist where to start, with the goal of progressing to moderate-intensity exercise.

This article is for general education and isn’t a diagnosis or a substitute for care from a licensed provider. If your symptoms last or get worse, see a physical therapist or your doctor.

Before becoming a physical therapist, buying sneakers was simple: go into the store, see a pair you like, maybe try a few on to make sure they fit, and buy them. After PT school, the way we look at human motion changes completely, and footwear choices become much more complex.

Footwear types, flat feet versus high arches, and which brands are best could each be their own discussion. Today we’ll keep it simple: does the wrong size shoe affect the way we walk?

What the Research Found

In a study from Japan, 30 healthy adults were given shoes anywhere from 1 to 3 cm longer than their measured foot length. Researchers measured how fast participants walked and how much the joints in their legs (hip, knee and ankle) moved.

The longer the shoe compared to the foot, the more participants’ joints had to move. It also took participants longer to walk the same distance in longer shoes than in correctly fitted shoes. In other words, the longer the shoes, the more their movement changed and the slower they became.

Image spot (optional): person walking, side view

The Takeaway

Shoe size can affect how we move. Shoes that don’t fit properly can make walking harder, so fit is worth checking the next time you buy a pair.

This article is for general education and isn’t a diagnosis or a substitute for care from a licensed provider. If your symptoms last or get worse, see a physical therapist or your doctor.