Personalized Gait Retraining Matches Drug Efficacy for Knee Arthritis
Researchers from the University of Utah, New York University, and Stanford have demonstrated that personalized gait retraining can relieve knee osteoarthritis pain as effectively as prescription medication while also slowing cartilage degradation. Published in The Lancet Rheumatology, the study is the first placebo-controlled trial to validate a biomechanical intervention for this condition. By adjusting foot angles based on individual biomechanics, participants achieved pain relief comparable to strong analgesics and showed slower progression of joint damage over a year. This approach offers a potential non-invasive alternative to long-term medication or surgery for the millions affected by osteoarthritis.
