Gait Retraining Offers Drug-Free Knee Pain Relief
Gait retraining may reduce knee pain and arthritis progression, study finds.
Why it matters
- Osteoarthritis affects nearly 25% of adults over 40.
- Current treatments focus on pain management or surgery.
- Gait retraining offers a non-pharmacological alternative.
By the numbers
- 68 participants in a year-long study.
- Pain reduced by 1.2 units vs placebo.
- Cartilage degradation slowed by 3.74 ms in intervention group.
The big picture
- First placebo-controlled study showing biomechanical intervention effectiveness.
- Potential long-term solution before joint replacement surgery.
- Future work needed to make the process clinically feasible.
What they're saying
- Some PTs have long suspected gait adjustments help, but adherence is challenging.
- Participants expressed enthusiasm for the approach and results.
Caveats
- Intervention must be personalized; not all patients benefit.
- Current method is expensive and time-consuming.
- More studies needed before widespread use.
What’s next
- Researchers aim to streamline the process using mobile sensors.
- More studies required before clinical deployment.
- Interested individuals can contact the Movement Bioengineering Lab.