New research from the current issue of PM&R: The journal of injury, function and rehabilitation shows that running shoes may cause more stress on some joints compared to running barefoot. Researchers observed increased joint torques (a measure of the amount of twisting along a certain axis) at the ankles, knees and hips when subjects wore running shoes. This puts increased stress on these joints and may increase the risk of osteoarthritis. The study authors attribute this to the elevated heels and increased material under the arch, both of which are characteristic of today’s running shoes. This makes sense since a small change in foot mechanics due to improper footwear can lead to further alignment changes in your ankles, knees and hips. “Reducing joint torques with footwear completely to that of barefoot running, while providing meaningful footwear functions, especially compliance, should be the goal of new footwear designs,” says lead researcher Dr. D. Casey Kerrigan, MD. [via Science Centric]
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.