Poor footwear disables gout patients
A new study says using poor footwear is common among patients with gout who experience higher foot-related pain, impairment and disability.
Researchers at the AUT University in Auckland, New Zealand, studied 50 patients with a history of gout and found that those who made poor footwear choices experienced higher foot-related pain, impairment and disability, EurekAlert reported.
Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis caused by high uric acid levels in the blood. The crystallization of uric acid within the joints and other tissues causes severe pain and swelling especially in toes.
Over the past two decades, more people have been diagnosed with the disabling condition, which affects 8.3 million individuals in the US.
Previous studies had linked chronic gout to changes in patients' gait parameters, which is consistent with pain avoidance strategy, and likely leads to impaired foot function.
The new study, however, has linked the levels of disabilities and impairments among patients to their shoes' quality and comfort.
According to the results, about 56 percent of patients made good footwear choices by wearing walking shoes, athletic sneakers, or oxfords. Of the remaining patients, 42 percent wore footwear that are considered poor and included sandals, flip-flops, slippers, or moccasins; 2 percent wore boots which are considered average; and none wore high-heeled shoes.
According to the report published in Arthritis Care & Research, patients consider comfort, being fit, and cost as the most important factors for selecting footwear.
Characteristics of poor footwear included improper cushioning, lack of support, as well as inadequate stability and motion control. Those gout patients who wore poor shoes or sandals reported higher foot-related impairment and disability.
More than half of all participants wore shoes that were 12 months or older and showed excessive wear patterns.
”We found that gout patients in our study often wore improper footwear and experienced moderate to severe foot pain, impairment and disability," said senior author Professor Keith Rome.
"Many patients' shoes also showed excessive wear and we suggest that proper footwear selection be discussed with gout patients to reduce foot pain and impairment."
Source: presstv.ir
