Can running shoes make your knees hurt? Check out the newest research.

A dozen years ago running shoe manufacturers developed shoes that were labeled for the number of millimeters the heels were held off the ground. Barefoot running was the rage and many people were adopting negative heel, flat heel, or regular heel running shoes. The choices were confusing for the general public and runners were developing knee, hip, calf, and foot pain if they chose the wrong shoe for their body style. Some who did not ease themselves into a barefoot running shoe such as the Vibram 5 fingers were experiencing calf pain and had different injuries by moving too quickly into a midfoot strike type of gait. A lawsuit against Vibram resulted in a settlement and the marketing claims were withdrawn as the barefoot craze quickly ended.

While there are still negative heel running shoes, new research is suggesting that too much heel drop may be making your knees hurt, as was recently discussed in the magazine Running.

Of course, if you would like a professional opinion, our offices specialize in runners. Sometimes a treadmill evaluation can be quite helpful and diagnostic. Chiropractic sports physicians are uniquely qualified to evaluate and treat runners and knee pain because of their holistic approach to the musculoskeletal system. The one-stop-shop approach of most chiropractic physicians is preferable to the segmented approach common in medical facilities. Simple and holistic is more effective, less costly, and more efficient in finding out why your knees ache. Is it the shoe or you? Book online here.

Check out the article below

Struggle with knee pain? Your shoes may be the problem

New research shows that shoes with a significant heel drop increase the stress on your knees

BRITTANY HAMBLETON FEBRUARY 24, 2022

Knee injuries are some of the most common problems faced by runners, and new research says your shoes might have something to do with it. According to a recent study, shoes with a substantial heel drop (which most of us run in regularly) increase the amount of stress on your knees, which could lead to increased knee pain.

Heel drop and knee pain
Heel drop is the difference in height between the heel of your shoe and your forefoot. Traditional running shoes tend to have a larger heel drop, which may contribute to knee pain. The researchers in this study, published in the journal Gait and Posture, aimed to confirm this theory and find out if zero-drop shoes helped prevent knee pain.