Arthritis is pain in the joints and the most common type of arthritis in the U.S. is the osteoarthritis which hits you around the age of 50.
But nevertheless, rheumatoid arthritis is also not very less common which pops at the age of 30 to 50, which is usually the working age group!
And if you are working, that means you need to be on your feet for the entire day and therefore, the most crucial for you is to select the best work boots that will prevent joint pain and additionally you need to know what causes the pain in the joints and also what are the essential features for a good work boot for arthritis!
Well, this article will help you to find out about all of these in details…
Coming to the steel toe boots, we all know that they are the heavily built boots that offer you the best protection of your toes while also adding to the weight of the boots unnecessarily.
So, are they really a good option for arthritis?
There is no evidence that steel toe boots can cause you arthritis, but the fact is, steel toe boots are no doubt very heavy and that extra weight will definitely put pressure on your feet while walking.
Also, for a good boot for arthritis, you need the toe box room to be very spacious and comfortable for the toes to wiggle freely. Steel toe box area are not very comfortable for your toes, but unless and until they are wide in area and do not stiff your toes, they are fine!
What is arthritis?
Pain in joints of the feet and knees, stiffness of bones and swelling of the muscles is commonly known as arthritis. It depends on the porosity and the density of the bones. Some of the other symptoms of arthritis would include:
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- Popping sound while joint movement
- Bony outgrowths in joints
- Muscle weakness
- A scraping or a grating feeling in the knees while walking
- Pain in the muscles and joints and swelling
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Causes of arthritis:
It is not only important to know what arthritis is, but it’s equally crucial for you to know the causes of arthritis if you want to prevent it. So, let’s first learn about them:
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- Being overweight
- Any injury or fracture in the joints
- Sprains in the muscle or tissue or ligament
- Weakness of the muscles
- Wear and tear of a joint
- Over straining of muscles and joints
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How to prevent arthritis?
Arthritis can be prevented by following one of the many ways mentioned below:
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- Physiotherapy
- Exercising regularly
- Losing weight
- Medication
- Wearing a good work boot/shoe that provides comfort and support
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Can work boots help to prevent/relieve arthritis?
Yes, definitely!
Wearing the right work boot can relieve arthritis to a great extent because they provide the much-needed comfort and support.
Work boots that offer you a great cushioning along with arch, midsole and ankle support will help to relive the pain in the joints as they take away much pressure from the feet.
Also, work boots with shock-absorption technology and anti-fatigue soles are of great benefit for arthritis!
In the section below we will learn in details about the essential features of a work boot for arthritis and what are their benefits…
What to look for in a work boot for arthritis?
As we have come to know that the first and foremost thing that is essential for arthritic feet is comfort and support!
So, let’s now look at some of the other essential features that an arthritic work boot should possess:
1.) Work boot for arthritis should provide utmost comfort:
Speaking of comfort, it will encompass a wide variety of aspects of the boots like perfect fit, flexibility, support, cushioning and ample amount of protection. The following points will illustrate each necessity in details…
2.) Work boot for arthritis should have a cushioned insole:
Walking on hard surfaces will certainly elevate the pain in the feet and hence the joints. Therefore, the most sought for feature for an arthritic work boot should be a good cushioned insole that will help to absorb the weight of the body and hence relieve pain in the joints.
3.) Work boot for arthritis must have an orthopaedic insole:
If you have arthritis, orthopaedic insoles are the best to invest into because orthopaedic insoles help to provide the necessary combination of sturdiness and cushioning that in turn helps to relieve the pain in the feet and the joints.
This type of insole is especially designed for people suffering from different types of arthritis and other feet problems.
4.) Work boot for arthritis should offer you the perfect fitting:
A loose fitting boot will cause you as much discomfort as a tight fitting boot. A tight fitting boot will block blood circulation, cause swelling in the feet and make you uncomfortable by blocking flexibility and movement of the feet and thus will increase the foot pain.
Likewise, a loose fitting boot will cause discomfort by allowing too much movement of the feet that might even result in twists and turns in the ankles and joints thus elevating the pain.
5.) Work boot for arthritis should have enough space in the toe box area:
Yes, this is very important that your toes should get enough room inside the toe box at least to wiggle because toes have a major part in supporting the balance of the body and difficulty in the movement of the toes will only increase the arthritis pain.
6.) Work boots for arthritis should provide ample amount of support:
Support in the form of ankle support, arch support, heel support and upper area of the feet support is necessary for a comfortable feeling work boot for arthritis.
7.) Work boots for arthritis should shock absorbing soles:
This is another essential feature for an arthritic work boot because soles that are shock absorbing will help to distribute the weight of the body equally to the entire feet and then return the energy from the ground back to the feet while walking, thus relieving you from the pain.
8.) Work boots for arthritis should have a good flexibility:
Stiff boots built of tough materials will restrict the movement of the feet which is the main cause of feet pain. Thus, work boots with good flexibility will help to make the feet movements easy and release pain.
9.) Work boots for arthritis should have anti-slippery soles:
If you trip or slip due to slippery boots, it can cause sprains and fractures in the bones that is in no way good for your joints. Therefore, boots with slip-resistant outsoles should be your look out.
10.) Work boots for arthritis should have anti-fatigue insoles:
Anti-fatigue insoles also help to return the energy from the ground back to the feet thus, putting less stress on the feet muscles, bones and joints.
Is steel toe boot bad for arthritis?
After looking at all the essential features to look for in a work boot for arthritis, you can definitely make out that having steel toe is definitely not a criterion for an arthritic boot.
Though steel toe is not in any way bad for arthritis, but at the same time it is not one of the most comfortable features as well for arthritis!
It means, steel toe caps are very hard wearing that will definitely restrict the movement of the toes inside the toe box and the material steel will add to the weight of the boots which in turn will put extra pressure on your feet and joints that can ultimately lead to pain and thus arthritis.
And it’s a wrap!
So, in a nutshell we can conclude that whether your boots have steel toe or not, just make sure that they have enough room in the toe box area and they provide the utmost comfort, stability and support!
That’s all for today, see you soon in my next post!
Till then, take care and have a great day ahead!
