According to recent research, 15% of the global population over the age of 30 is affected by osteoarthritis, or OA, the most common form of arthritis. This same study projects that OA will affect nearly 1 billion people by the year 2050. These statistics show that OA is a pressing medical concern that should be a top priority for medical professionals seeking to improve their patients’ quality of life.
Understanding knee osteoarthritis
Knee osteoarthritis is a medical condition that occurs when the cartilage tissue in the knee wears away. This can cause a number of health issues, including pain, stiffness, swelling, and even more severe consequences in cases where the condition goes untreated. According to studies by the World Health Organization, the knee is the joint most commonly affected by osteoarthritis, with 365 million people worldwide living with osteoarthritis in the knee.
However, the effects of knee osteoarthritis are worse than some minor annoying aches and pains. Knee osteoarthritis can interfere with a person’s ability to do basic activities like walking and climbing stairs, which, in turn, could reduce their activity and exercise levels and have long-term impacts on their health. That’s not to mention the potential mental health consequences of not being able to do activities that one once enjoyed or being excluded from social activities.
Many people think that chronic knee pain is merely a standard part of aging, but that’s simply not the case. If chronic knee pain interferes with one’s ability to go about their regular, daily life, it should signal them that it’s time to seek medical care and treatment for their condition. In some cases, especially if one notices any sudden swelling, it could also be a sign of a more serious condition that needs to be evaluated by a medical professional immediately.
Unfortunately, the typical treatments that are available for knee arthritis are time-consuming at best or invasive or addictive at worst. In milder cases, outpatient physical therapy may be enough to treat the pain, but this requires several visits to a medical office — not to mention a co-pay every time they go. In more severe cases, doctors may suggest prescription painkillers, injections, or even surgery to treat a patient’s pain, but these treatment methods carry with them a risk for complications.
What if there were a way to address some of the most common sources of pain from knee osteoarthritis without surgery, without potentially addictive drugs, and even without the inconvenience of having to go to a physical therapist’s office? The good news is that there is, and it has been proven to significantly benefit patients, allowing them to live their lives less hindered by the obstacle of chronic knee pain: retraining their gait.
How gait retraining can help relieve knee pain
Gait is how a person walks, and even slight changes in walking patterns can put extra stress on the knees, back, hips, and neck — creating a vicious cycle of pain. Addressing gait doesn’t just relieve symptoms; it corrects the root cause of pain, providing immediate relief and lasting improvements.
One innovative way to treat knee pain is through Apos, an FDA-cleared precision medicine solution. Apos uses a personalized foot-worn medical device and a treatment program that simplifies the complex science of gait retraining and combines advanced biomechanics and neuromuscular retraining. While all the patient needs to do is wear the footworn device, the science behind the scenes is fascinating. The device redistributes pressure away from painful areas and introduces subtle micro-instability, encouraging the body to naturally retrain its muscles and nervous system. This non-invasive, drug-free approach changes how patients move, reducing pain and improving function.
Clinical studies have shown that 89% of patients avoid or delay knee replacement surgery — even six years after treatment. Further studies have shown that Apos significantly improves patients’ quality of life and reduces pain while lowering their reliance on medication. With just one hour of use per day, patients can retrain their gait without disrupting their daily routines.
Best of all, Apos is convenient and affordable, with many insurance plans covering the treatment. It can be done entirely from home, making it an accessible alternative to surgery or other invasive treatments. For those suffering from knee osteoarthritis, gait retraining with Apos offers a way to walk better, live better, and reclaim an active lifestyle.
— Dr. Clifford Bleustein is the Global President and CEO of AposHealth. Prior to AposHealth, Dr. Bleustein was President and CEO of Computer Task Group (NASDAQ: CTG), where he managed >3400 people globally and >$340M in revenue across healthcare, technology services, energy, and financial services with operations in North America, Western Europe, and India. Dr. Bleustein went to CTG from Dell, where he had several roles, rising to become the Chief Medical Officer and Global Healthcare Solutions Leader with P&L responsibility for Healthcare & Life Sciences Solutions globally. Dr. Bleustein also had a successful period as a consultant at PwC, rising to Director with a diverse experience of projects including interim executive director of outpatient services, business strategy, international “biocluster” development, mergers & acquisitions, healthcare operations, physician alignment, governance, and resource optimization. He also has on-the-ground experience in the UK, Ireland, India, South Africa, and China, with assessments in the Middle East/Asia.
References:
- Benn, R., Rawson, L., & Phillips, A. (2023). “Utilising a non-surgical intervention in the knee osteoarthritis care pathway: A 6-year retrospective audit on NHS patients. Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease.” https://doi.org/10.1177/1759720X231187190.
- Reichenbach S., Felson D.T., Hincapi C.A., Heldner S., Bütikofer L., Lenz A., da Costa B.R., Bonel H.M., Jones R.K., Hawker G.A., Jüni P. “Effect of Biomechanical Footwear on Knee Pain in People With Knee Osteoarthritis.” The BIOTOK Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2020;323(18):1802-1812. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32396180/
Josh Mark, Shirley Shema-Shiratzky, Joel Sommer, Tim Nolan, Ganit Segal. “Reduction in Healthcare Resource Utilization Following Treatment With a Home-Based Footworn Device in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Retrospective Claims Analysis.” J Health Econ Outcomes Res. 2024 May 16;11(1):134-140. doi: 10.36469/001c.117155.eCollection 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38765914/.