HealthyFeetBlog.com

Arthritis shoes cannot cure arthritis. Truth be told at this time nothing can cure arthritis, but this does not mean that arthritis treatment is fruitless. A great deal of medical advancements have been made in the last few years in the field of arthritis treatment. Arthritis treatment consists of alleviating arthritis symptoms such as pain, swelling, and stiffness. When all the symptoms of arthritis have been eliminated this is known as arthritis remission. Arthritis remission periods can last a long time, but they are seldom permanent. There are many different types of arthritis and even more variety in how arthritis symptoms manifest themselves in individual patients, so it is difficult to generalize about what types of arthritis treatments will be helpful to different arthritis sufferers.

That said, arthritis shoes provide pain relief for many people with rheumatoid arthritic feet and osteoarthritic feet. This article will attempt to explain what arthritis symptoms can be treated with arthritis shoes. If you have any questions feel free to contact a HealthyFeetStore.com customer service representative and/or to discuss with your doctor whether wearing orthopedic footwear could help to alleviate arthritis pain in your feet. Below are the characteristics that are common in most arthritis shoes:

Arch Support – Preventing Flat Feet

Whether you have rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis of the foot you will want to try to minimize the strain on your foot’s joints as you walk. Arthritis decreases joint elasticity, increasing the risk of micro-tears and inflammation. At the arch is where the foot is most vulnerable to developing repetitive stress injuries. With every step the plantar fascia, the joint that runs across the middle of the foot that supports the structure of the arch, stretches when it impacts the ground and contracts when you lift your foot up to take the next step. When the foot flattens too much on impact with the ground it strains the joint and overtime can cause arch pain (for anyone) and severe swelling in a sensitive arthritic foot. Purchasing a pair of shoes with good arch support to start with or removing the insole of your shoe and replacing it with an arch support insert helps to prevent flat feet and over-pronation, which can decrease arthritic feet inflammation.

Shock Absorption – Reducing Joint Stress

A shoe with good shock absorption is good for arthritic feet for many of the same reasons that a shoe with good arch support is. It protects the joints on the bottom of the feet from stretching too much when they hit the ground. It also absorbs the force of the foot’s impact against the ground decreasing the force of the jolt to the foot, ankle, and knee with each step. The force of the impact of walking may seem fairly minimal on a step by step basis, but when you consider that the average sedentary person takes between 1,000 to 3,000 steps per day it isn’t difficult to imagine how that much combined shock can take a toll on your lower body’s joints if your shoes aren’t up the task of protecting the arthritic’s sometimes delicate ligaments.

Stretchable & Wide Width Shoes – Preventing Painful Pressure Points

Repeated severe edema and inflammation in the feet will over-time have a permanent impact on their shape and size. Properly fitting shoes that provide sufficient room in the shoe’s toe box and sidewall are especially important for arthritics. Foot deformities such as bunions, hammertoes, and deformed toes have a high incidence among arthritis sufferers because these conditions primarily develop as a coping mechanisms for abnormalities in how weight is distributed across the foot and how much pressure different muscles and joints have to endure during walking. If already inflamed arthritic toes are scrunched against the edge of a shoe, not only will the result be painful, but permanent deformities are likely to develop. For overall foot swelling, a wide or extra wide shoe will likely be sufficient for a comfortable fit. Advanced arthritis sufferers with more irregularly shaped feet may wish to consider wearing a stretchable shoe that will be more accommodating to their unique foot care needs.

For more information on arthritis and to help with efforts to find a cure, please visit the Arthritis Foundation.