Arthiritis sufferers are being sought by University of Salford researchers to take part in a brand new clinical trial which could reduce their pain.
The Arthritis Research UK-funded project is looking to recruit up to 60 people aged 40-85 from the Greater Manchester area to test wedge insoles and help battle osteoarthritis.
They aim to reduce load on the knee joint by correcting the way you walk, which hopefully will reduce pain.
Dr Richard Jones, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Biomechanics at Salford University, explained: “When we stand, walk or climb stairs, our weight is transmitted through our knee joint.
“The way this weight is transmitted and its measurement is determined as load. We aim to gain a more thorough understanding of the loading on the knee that leads to osteoarthritis, and the effect that different insoles have on this load.”
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in the UK, with around six million sufferers in the UK.
Medial knee arthritis, the most common form of osteoarthritis, is a painful condition which affects the inside of the knee joint between the femur and the tibia, restricting daily life for those who suffer.
Those who take part in the study will be asked to climb stairs wearing two different types of insoles in their shoes – the study will analyse their gait and foot pressure.
If eligible, participants will then attend three further gait analysis assessments over a 16-week period.
Dr Jones added: “Because of the way we walk, we have constant loading on the inside of the knee joint, and this is linked with the progression of disease.
“We’re looking at how the knee moves and why it moves in a particular way, using 3D gait analysis to look at the hip, ankle and foot, as well as the knee.”
A range of insoles have been designed by the researchers with the aim of reducing the load on the knee joints.
Dr Jones and his team working on the trial believe this form of treatment could be a popular, effective and inexpensive intervention for sufferers.
People with osteoarthritis of the knee who would like to find out more about the research can contact the trial team for further information on 0161 306 0545/0547/0549.
Picture courtesy of MyArthritis via Flickr, with thanks
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