Adam’s journal
When I went for a haircut last week, my barber told me he was flattered we’d devoted our latest column to him. Huh, I said? After all, we’d written about rocker-soled walking shoes, not the latest innovations in hair clippers.
Then Rick pointed to his Skechers — complete with oversized soles — and told me how much they’d helped his chronic back pain. Plus, he said he believed that the muscles in his upper legs had grown firmer since he’d been wearing them.
How about you? Did you get any feedback?
Dr. Prescott prescribes
Yes, our column on those funny-looking walking shoes (FLWS) seems to have struck a chord. My friend Beth, who has rheumatoid arthritis, tells me that she wears her FLWS as often as possible because they provide great relief for her joint pain. When Beth is obliged to wear fashionable shoes such as high heels for professional and social events, she rushes home to get in her FLWS to ease the discomfort.
About the same time, I received an e-mail from a retired physician who suffers from a neurological problem that causes foot drop — the inability to flex the ankle toward the shin. FLWS have significantly improved the doc’s ability to walk. But he did mention a trade-off, in that the shoes diminish his stability while standing still (think of trying to keep a rocking chair motionless).
The scientific literature is scant in this area. But one study showed that FLWS changed the pattern of weight pressure from the middle of the foot toward the toes, so it makes sense that this might provide relief for some arthritis patients. Another study found that FLWS performed a bit better than traditional running shoes in relieving arthritis pain in patients who underwent fitness training.
A quick survey of several of my colleagues who treat arthritis patients turned up more stories of relief, though not in all patients. So, for arthritis patients, FLWS may be worth a try. Ditto for foot drop, with the caveat that the shoes’ instability could be troublesome to patients who are already unstable on their feet (my doctor correspondent uses a cane or holds onto a railing when standing).
And what of your friend Rick’s back pain?
I ran across a study that tested FLWS on low back pain and golf performance. The good news is that researchers found a small improvement in back pain. The bad news is that the shoes didn’t help golf performance.
Maybe I’ll just buy a new putter instead.
[ask-drp]
