Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting more than 33 million adults in the U.S. and nearly 40% of people over 70 worldwide. It often targets the knees, hips, and hands, causing pain, stiffness, and difficulty moving. While there’s no cure, doctors usually recommend staying active, keeping a healthy weight, and using pain relievers to manage symptoms.
Now, researchers have uncovered a surprisingly simple tool: the way you walk. A study published in The Lancet Rheumatology found that adjusting your walking style—specifically the angle of your feet—can significantly reduce knee pain and may even slow cartilage damage.
The year-long study, conducted by teams from the University of Utah, NYU, and Stanford, involved 68 participants with early-stage knee osteoarthritis. Half were trained to walk with their feet angled slightly inward or outward—just 5 to 10 degrees—reducing the load on their knees. The control group continued walking normally.
The results were striking. Participants who retrained their gait reported pain reductions on par with what’s typically achieved through medication, but without side effects. MRI scans also showed less cartilage degeneration in the intervention group, suggesting that gait retraining could help preserve joint health long term.
“This is exciting because it’s noninvasive, drug-free, and empowers patients to help manage their condition,” explained Valentina Mazzoli, PhD, one of the study’s lead authors.
Though more research is needed, the findings suggest that minor adjustments in how you step could make a big difference. For those with early knee osteoarthritis, gait retraining offers a low-cost, side-effect-free strategy to reduce pain and possibly slow disease progression—proof that sometimes the path to relief is just a step away.