Are Running Shoes as Bad for Your Knees as High Heels?
Running in running shoes puts more stress on your knees and hips than walking in high heels, according to a study published in the December 2009 issue of PM&R: The journal of injury, function and rehabilitation. The study compared healthy runners on a treadmill either running barefoot or in standard neutral stability running shoes.
What’s up? The study authors say in a press release that modern running shoes are designed to support and protect the foot itself. But because many have an elevated heel and increased material under the medial arch, they end up putting more stress on the hip, knee and ankle. They suggest that new footwear designs try to minimize these forces on the leg joints. Press release: Running shoes may cause damage to knees, hips and ankles.
What does this mean for walkers? Follow my longtime walking shoe advice and seek out shoes without elevated heels or aggressively flanged heels. The best shoes for walking have a flat heel profile, with little to no elevation between the heel and the forefoot. I also prefer lighter-weight shoes rather than heavy shoes, even though it may mean that I wear them out faster. Reducing the stress on my knees and hips is critical to having a long, pain-free walking life. Walking will put far less stress on the joints than running, but anything you can do to reduce your risk of hip and knee pain is worth doing.
Running Shoes vs. Walking Shoes
Source: D. Casey Kerrigan, MD, Jason R. Franz, MS, Geoffrey S. Keenan, MD, Jay Dicharry, MPT, Ugo Della Croce, PhD, and Robert P. Wilder, MD. “The Effect of Running Shoes on Lower Extremity Joint Torques.”PM&R: The journal of injury, function and rehabilitation, Volume 1, Issue 12, Pages 1058-1063 (December 2009).
Photo © Wendy Bumgardner
Are Running Shoes as Bad for Your Knees as High Heels? originally appeared on About.com Walking on Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 at 08:54:04.
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