Adjusting How You Walk May Reduce Knee Pain From Osteoarthritis

Walking differently to protect painful knees can make arthritis pain worse.Learn how gait modification can reduce stress on the knee joint.

Gait correction can reduce arthritic knee pain

Many people shift their weight to protect their painful knees, making the situation worse.

- Whitney Rockey, PT, DPT, Contributor

If you have knee osteoarthritis, you've been told to strengthen your muscles, stretch regularly, and work on your balance.Paying attention to the way you walk - what is called your walk - may not get a lot of attention, but sometimes it should.

You must be logged in to continue reading this article.

Subscribe to Harvard Online Plus (HHO+) to unlock expert-backed insights, personalized tools and exclusive resources to feel your best every day.

Here's what you get with your HHO+ membership:

- Unlimited access to all Harvard Online content

- 4 expertly curated newsletters are issued each month

- Website experience tailored to your goals

- In-depth guides on topics like sleep, exercise and more

- Interactive features such as videos and quizzes

- Members-only access to exclusive articles and resources

I would like to sign up for HHO+ for $4.99/month to access expert-supported content to help make smart and informed decisions about my wellness.

About the author

Lynne Christensen, staff writer

About the reviewer

Whitney Rokuy, PT, DPT, contributor

As a service to our readers, Harvard Press provides access to our library of archived content.See when all articles were last reviewed or updated.

No material on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from a physician or other qualified practitioner.