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Knee Pain

Is Your Knee Pain Coming From Your Feet?

There are a variety of causes for knee pain, such as arthritis, cartilage tears, and tendonitis. These are well-known causes related to either injury or disease and are common occurrences. If you are experiencing knee pain another factor that is good to keep under consideration is how you are walking. Some people develop knee pain because of their gait (how they walk), and that is the type of knee pain we are going to focus on here. This is the kind of knee pain that stems from your feet and arches.

There are a variety of causes for knee pain, such as arthritis, cartilage tears, and tendonitis. 

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What Is Knee Pain?

One instance in which knee pain will present itself is when the cartilage in your knee becomes very thin and the bones start to rub against each other. When this type of pain occurs even the most normal and simple tasks can become difficult. Walking from one place to another becomes very painful. The pain can be sharp or it can be dull and achy. It can be intermittent or it can be constant. Sometimes your feet are at the root of this pain. Flat Fee or fallen arches can be the cause of knee pain, as can high arches.

What Causes Knee Pain?

At times knee pain develops because of your gait cycle (how you are walking.) The structure of your feet and arches and the flexibility of your foot have a direct effect on whether you walk normally or over-pronate or over-supinate. Those who tend toward over-pronation or over-supination may experience knee pain caused by how they are walking. This is because there is stress put on the leg bones (the tibia and fibula). This adds additional stress to the lateral or medial side of the knee therefore adding to the wear and tear in the knee and eventually causing pain.

There are a diverse set of causes for knee pain depending on your other symptoms.

What Can I Do?

If you have pain in your knee it is important to see a doctor to have it diagnosed. There are multiple issues that can cause knee pain and you will want to find out exactly what is causing your pain so you can receive proper treatment.

If your knee pain is caused because of your foot structure and the way you are walking, then wearing insoles in your shoes can help a lot. Realigning the foot at the foundation also helps your tibia and fibula (leg bones) to realign, therefore putting less pressure on the knee and allowing the knee joints to function without added stress. It is also important to make sure you are putting the insoles into shoes that are good quality and not too soft. Picture how much stress would be put on your knees if you tried to walk on pillows. Shoes that are soft and squishy can cause more instability and aggravate knee pain. Rather than wearing cushy, soft shoes or gel inserts you may want to try a supportive shoe with a firmer arch support. An insole needs to be in a stable shoe in order to function properly and do what it is made to do. Supportive shoes and inserts will help you to walk with proper gait, help with the alignment of the leg bones, and therefore lessen the stress on the knee.