Look to your feet for relief. When not experiencing foot pain, few people think about them when their hips or knees hurt. They may be told it is arthritis or cartilage damage and do not consider how the alignment of their feet and ankles may be contributing to their discomfort. As we age, many people become more sedentary and see an increase in body weight. The arches of the feet can become flatter over time due to excess pressure from above and weakness developing underneath. As arches flatten, they fall inwards too. This causes the leg to rotate inwards. This rotation puts the knees and hips out of alignment. Depending on the amount of arch collapse, the foot may require a significant amount of correction to ease the hip or knee pain. Deep-cupped corrective foot orthotics have been found to work wonders at alleviating pain in joints further up the body. Diane Calder, BSc KIN, CPed(C), Pedorthist.

B.D Mitchell Prosthetics and Orthotics, www.mitchellpando.com