Pain is a double-edged sword. While oftentimes is associated with negative experiences, slight pain or continuous slower pain can actually be very informative. Pain is the body’s way of slowing down a person’s actions, usually because they are doing damage to themselves. Light pain or pain that only happens when one is doing something active is often brushed off as just a sign of age, but what if it’s something to really consider? What if it is a sign that something in your activity needs to change? Typically a dull, consistent pain proceeds a more crippling pain that will roll over and affect not just the one activity but will eventually spill over to other activities as well. One of the most common complaints of a lingering pain is with runners or people that do activities that consist of putting lots of demands on their knees. Knee pain is more common than people think, but what they don’t’ realize is that they do not need to be in pain! 

Should I Try a Knee Brace to Help with Knee Pain?

Orthotics are fast-rising in their popularity for activities relating to pain and injuries relating to all kinds of sports. Often knee braces are the first route that people take when they experience knee pain, and sometimes that works. However, that often isn’t a long-term solution. It can be paired with other solutions, like orthotics, but by themselves, they do not always solve the problem. Why is that? It’s a matter of addressing the problem directly or finding the source of the problem. Knees are connected to the upper and lower leg. The legs make contact with the ground through the feet. How do the feet connect to the ground? Through the shoes. But what happens when the shoes are not the best fit? Or they do not support the foot? Shoes are mass-produced and are made with a “standard” mold in mind. People’s feet are not “standard”, however. People have different arch heights, widths, and forms. Often times shoes just bought at the store are not the right fit for people’s individual feet. Especially when extremely active, like with runners, when the shoe doesn’t fit it will throw off other parts of the body, like the knee, which will try to compensate for whatever is lacking in the stride. In general, there are 7 clear things that orthotics achieve for runners. 

Orthotics…

• …distribute stress through the ankle to the knee, so the stress does not distort the knee unnaturally. 
• ….help to absorb the shock from your leg impacting the ground. 
• … change the alignment of your feet and ankles, therefore changing the alignment of your knees under your hips. 
• …correct unevenness in your natural stride. 
• …reduce stress on more joints than just your knee (example: hips). 
• …keep feet in correct alignment to avoid twisting of ankles and knees and adding more stress to the joints.

Where Do I Get a Pair of Personalized Orthotics to Help my Knees?

The Shoe Doctor has specialized in providing custom orthotics for 20 years. The right orthotic insoles can greatly reduce foot, knee and hip pain while increasing performance and comfort. Russell at The Shoe Doctor will help educate and assist you in finding the perfect solution for your particular situation. We will create a 3D map of your feet and make custom orthotics for your hiking boots, everyday shoes, and everything else in between. These orthotics, along with our expert advice, will get you using orthotics like a pro, and have you performing at your peak of your abilities in no time!  If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, give The Shoe Doctor a call to get the best custom orthotics in the area! We are here to assist you, give us a call at (925) 820-0220 for your free consultation!

Sources:

1. https://www.painscience.com/articles/orthotics.php
2. https://www.chiroeco.com/7-ways-orthotics-can-help-knee-pain/
3. https://www.hss.edu/newsroom_orthotics-cause-problems-if-improperly-prescribed.asp
4. https://www.podiatrytoday.com/can-foot-orthoses-have-impact-knee-osteoarthritis 
5. https://treadlabs.com/blogs/insoles-reach-your-stride/runners-knee