Running shoes may cause damage to knees, hips and ankles

[steven johnson]

So walking in high heeled shoes is not good for your joints. Running shoes too?

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) accounts for more disability in the elderly than any other disease. Running, although it has proven cardiovascular and other health benefits, can increase stresses on the joints of the leg. In a study published in the December 2009 issue of PM&R: The journal of injury, function and rehabilitation, researchers compared the effects on knee, hip and ankle joint motions of running barefoot versus running in modern running shoes. They concluded that runninghoes exerted more stress on these joints compared to running barefoot or walking in high-heeled shoes. Sixty-eight healthy young adult runners (37 women), who run in typical, currently available running shoes, were selected from the general population. None had any history of musculoskeletal injury and each ran at least 15 miles per week. A running shoe, selected for its neutral classification and design characteristics typical of most running footwear, was provided to all runners. Using a treadmill and a motion analysis system, each subject was observed running barefoot and with shoes. Data were collected at each runner's comfortable running pace after a warm-up period.

The researchers observed increased joint torques at the hip, knee and ankle with running shoes compared with running barefoot. Disproportionately large increases were observed in the hip internal rotation torque and in the knee flexion and knee varus torques. An average 54% increase in the hip internal rotation torque, a 36% increase in knee flexion torque, and a 38% increase in knee varus torque were measured when running in running shoes compared with barefoot.

These findings confirm that while the typical construction of modern-day running shoes provides good support and protection of the foot itself, one negative effect is the increased stress on each of the 3 lower extremity joints. These increases are likely caused in large part by an elevated heel and increased material under the medial arch, both characteristic of today's running shoes.

Writing in the article, lead author D. Casey Kerrigan, MD, JKM Technologies LLC, Charlottesville, VA, and co-investigators state, "Remarkably, the effect of running shoes on knee joint torques during running (36%-38% increase) that the authors observed here is even greater than the effect that was reported earlier of high-heeled shoes during walking (20%-26% increase). Considering that lower extremity joint loading is of a significantly greater magnitude during running than is experienced during walking, the current findings indeed represent substantial biomechanical changes." Dr. Kerrigan concludes, "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."


Running shoes may cause damage to knees, hips and ankles

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Not surprising - humans were designed to be unshod.

And also not designed for sustained running.

Runners should be refused health care. Well, maybe not, but I'm close to feeling that way.

But then, the mega-billions shoe industry, which has convinced poor and ignorant people that $150 shoes that wear out in 3 months are a necessity, would be bankrupt within a year.

[HuckleB]

2. I don't disagree, except to that humans were not designed to sit in a chair all day either.

Thus, by your "logic" (I know you were being facetious, for the most part), anyone with a "desk job" should also be refused health care.

Right?

:shrug:

:hi:

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Damn right about desk jobs! Also a very unnatural way for us to spend the day.

And, while I wouldn't refuse them health care - this is the health forum, and so I will say that we need to rethink the way that we do work in this world, whether it be the repetitive and body crushing work of a factory or the fat-slob-making desk-chair-sitting of the office job.

I don't know the answer, especially since I'm tired and have a few Martinis in me (wait - I'm loaded up with Martinis, I should be brilliant right now! Oh, wait, they're Vodka Martinis, not gin, so I'm not brilliant), but it seems that we humans have to do something more than sit at a desk for 8 hours and then go work out on an unnatural running machine for an hour or two before we go sit in front of the TV all night.

[BadgerKid]

4. Typical running shoes encourage heel striking

due to, as the article says, the heel being thicker than the toe. Heel striking acts like a brake on your motion and puts more stress on the knees.

[rog]

5. You could spend $80 on a pair of these ...

Vibram Five Fingers: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com

Here's Barefoot Ted: http://barefootted.com

I only run two or three miles a day and (knock on wood) no probs yet at 65 yrs old, so I'm not sure if I want to make the jump. Still, it's intriguing.

Lots of cool stuff out there about this ... Google 'bare foot running'. The Vibram is the wildest, though.

.rog.

[trotsky]

9. A long time ago on DU...

someone posted a link to a shoe similar to that. It didn't have the 5 toes, but it was completely flat and basically was just a leather covering for the foot. I wish I had bookmarked it at that time, because I've never been able to find them again. I think they were made in the UK.

[flamingdem]

6. Is there any danger to fast walkers who use running shoes? nt

[Warpy]

12. Oh, probably

but I found as a nurse that the switch to running shoes from clunky nurse's specials meant an end to back and knee pain as well as to a lot of the foot pain. When management objected, even though I'd found white Reeboks, I told them I'd be glad to go home and change, shouldn't take more than three hours. They shut up fast.

Eventually I discovered z-coils and those probably added another two years to my working life before my back and other joints told me to knock that shit off.

Offhand, I'd say that walkers don't suffer nearly as much damage simply because walking is low impact, putting much less stress on the joints.

[tavalon]

7. running is ruinous to those same areas

Coincidence? I think not.

[DCKit]

8. But only if you run in them.... n/t

[Quantess]

10. That's terrible news.

All that running in those running shoes of mine, for so many years. I feel doomed.

[LiberalFighter]

11. When I was younger I would run a lot in bare feet on the grass.

It felt like I could run a lot faster than with shoes.

Now of course, I would have doubts about running barefoot not knowing what was in the grass.

[Warpy]

13. Remember those cigarette butts?

Ow. Then there were the bees. Double ow followed by itch. There was always some kid who stepped on a nail, too, and needed to be rushed in for a tetanus shot, double ow.

Country kids can go barefoot. The rest of 'em need to get used to shoes.