Your Feet Can Cause Knee Pain

Although the feet are essential for proper running form and good biomechanics, runners often neglect them. A runner with an incorrectly aligned foot can experience pain in the lower body, most often in the knee. How the foot causes such discomfort revolves around pronation, the inward roll of the foot and the flattening of the arch that takes place with each step.

A slight pronation is a normal part of running and is usually harmless. However, many runners fall into the overpronator category. While many people, even runners, overpronate for years with no resulting injury, the undue pressure on the knee joint may cause it to become misaligned. The result is extra rubbing and strain on the knee joint, which results in pain. Soon, pain may spread throughout the body’s kinetic chain, involving the feet, shins, knees, hips and even the lower back.

How can you tell if you overpronate? We can perform a gait analysis, which will reveal whether you have a problem. A quick, informal test you can perform at home involves wetting the bottoms of your feet and standing in a place where the water will show up clearly, such as the kitchen floor. If your footprint is almost the same width for the entire length of your foot, and does not show a different shape where your arch should be, then you may have a pronation problem. Generally speaking, the more excessive the pronation, the more likely you will experience other problems.

The easiest way to correct overpronation is to wear supportive shoes or use orthotics in your footwear to correct the mechanics of your stride. We can work with your podiatrist to develop a program of gait rehabilitation, which includes the use of orthotics and strengthening exercises to adjust the pressure on your knees and improve the gait mechanics.

If you are having trouble with your knees or hips, contact us to achieve the best possible outcome. We can help you improve your running style and reduce or significantly alleviate your pain.