Family Practice News reported on May 1, 2013 that two doctors at Rush University in Chicago invented a new type of shoe which decreases symptoms in patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee. This is not an orthotic, rather the sole is designed with strategically placed grooves which mimic walking barefoot. Wearing the shoes, at least 6 hours a day, six days a week lead to an 18% reduction in the load on the knees. This invention supports the osteopathic concept of treating the foot and ankle as part of the treatment of the knee. In fact, the founder of Osteopathy once said that in treating the lower extremity one must consider all dysfunction from second lumbar segment down to the toes as one functional unit. Often a patient will comment that my treatment isn’t directed at where they are feeling the pain and this explains why. To fix a knee one must treat the lower back, the sacrum, the ilium, the hip, knee, foot and ankle. Its like the old song, “the foot bone’s connected to the leg bone and the leg bone’s connected to thigh bone and the…..”