Scientists discover simple way to relieve arthritis pain without pills or surgery

Nearly one in four adults over 40 lives with painful osteoarthritis, a condition that can make everyday movement difficult and is one of the major causes of adult disability. The disease gradually wears down the cartilage that cushions joints. Once that damage occurs, doctors currently cannot reverse it.

Treatment usually focuses on pain relief, with joint replacement becoming an option when symptoms become severe. A clinical trial from researchers at the University of Utah, New York University, and Stanford University points to a different possibility: changing the way a person walks. In the yearlong randomized controlled trial, people with knee osteoarthritis were trained to make a small, personalized change in the angle of their foot while walking. Participants who received the real gait retraining reported pain relief comparable to medication, and MRI scans suggested they had less knee cartilage deterioration than people in the placebo group. The study, published in The Lancet Rheumatology , was co led by Scott Uhlrich of the University of Utah's John and Marcia Price College of Engineering. According to the researchers, it was the first placebo controlled study to show that a biomechanical intervention could help treat osteoarthritis symptoms and potentially slow joint damage. "We've known that for people with osteoarthritis, higher loads in their knee accelerate progression, and that changing the foot angle can reduce knee load," said Uhlrich, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering. "So the idea of a biomechanical intervention is not new, but there have not been randomized, placebo-controlled studies to show that they're effective." The study focused on people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis in the medial compartment of the knee, which is the inner side of the joint. This area usually carries more weight than the outer side, making it a common site for knee osteoarthritis. But there is a key challenge: the best walking adjustment is not the same for everyone. Some people reduce knee loading by turning their toes slightly inward. Others benefit more from pointing them outward.

Key points

• Treatment usually focuses on pain relief, with joint replacement becoming an option when symptoms become severe.
• A clinical trial from researchers at the University of Utah, New York University, and Stanford University points to a different possibility: changing the way a person walks.
• In the yearlong randomized controlled trial, people with knee osteoarthritis were trained to make a small, personalized change in the angle of their foot while walking.
• Participants who received the real gait retraining reported pain relief comparable to medication, and MRI scans suggested they had less knee cartilage deterioration than people in the placebo group.
• The study, published in The Lancet Rheumatology , was co led by Scott Uhlrich of the University of Utah's John and Marcia Price College of Engineering.