A simple change in how you walk could offer relief from knee osteoarthritis, according to a randomized, placebo-controlled trial published in The Lancet Rheumatology. Researchers from the University of Utah, Stanford, and New York University taught participants with mild to moderate arthritis to walk with a personalized foot angle—turning their toes slightly inward or outward. After one year, these participants reported significantly less knee pain than a placebo group, with pain relief comparable to that seen with common medications.
The approach works by redistributing the load on the knee. The inner compartment typically bears more weight during walking, which is why arthritis often develops there. Adjusting foot angle can shift pressure away from damaged cartilage. But the right direction and degree vary by person: some benefit from toe-in, others from toe-out, and a wrong adjustment could increase joint loading. The researchers used motion capture and force-sensing treadmills to identify each participant's optimal pattern.
MRI scans offered an additional benefit: participants who adopted the new walking style showed slower deterioration in a marker of knee cartilage health. This matters because existing treatments mainly manage symptoms, while this biomechanical intervention targets the excessive joint pressure that drives disease progression. The trial was funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the team noted that not all candidates qualified—some could not find a foot angle that reduced their knee loading. Still, the results suggest that a carefully chosen walking change could be a drug-free, surgery-free option for many patients.