Can wearing orthotics cause knee pain?

Well-fitting, correctly designed custom orthotics can't cause knee pain. The right pair will help relieve knee pain by correcting your alignment, posture, and providing support. There can be discomfort while your body adjusts to new orthotics. If you have orthotics that don't suit your feet, are poor quality, or worn incorrectly, they can cause knee pain.

No, orthotics cant cause knee pain, especially if they fit well. Wearing orthotics side effects are rare unless they are badly fitted and of low quality. Bad orthotics could lead to inconveniences like nerve-related leg pain, knee pain, numbness etc. Therefore, it is advisable to see a specialist and wear perfectly-fitted and top-quality orthotics.

There are other intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors that might be causing your knee pain other than your orthotics.

Extrinsic include:

• Practicing incorrect training or sport technique and running on sloppy surfaces
• Having too rapid of a training program or volume of activity or changing your activity level without a gradual break-in period.
• Changing the surface you exercise on, such as going from a soft surface (like an indoor track) to outside on gravel or concrete.
• Using poor equipment or improper footwear (shoes that are too worn out, too flimsy or too stiff).

Intrinsic factors mainly include increased body weight and altered anatomy of the body (e.g. poor gait due to the healing fracture).

Research has shown that right orthotics that address the needs of your feet are helpful rather than detrimental. Unless they are OTC that do fit you feet. I’ll suggest you check if you are doing your activities right. You might have gained weight too. Get these things fixed and your pain will probably go away. Happy feet.

Apart from the initial discomfort when your body is adjusting to the orthotics, orthotics will cause knee pain only if they aren't designed to suit your condition. You may want to look into how you're using the orthotic and any gait changes there may be already.