When choosing flooring, it is a significant decision to make! You’ve got to take into perspective the advantages and disadvantages of each material. Cost, maintenance, longevity, and durability are the main concerns when people are trying to choose a floor. But, is carpet truly the better alternative for your, feet, knees, joints, and back?

It’s a no brainer that if you’re constantly walking and standing, you’re prone to have more pain in your feet, ankles, joints, knees, and lower back. Carpet provides a safer surface, where you’re less likely to slip and fall. Carpet is ideal for babies, smaller children, and senior citizens. The cushioning of carpet provides a softer landing if you fall, and the rough texture helps you avoid falling in the first place. Safety is a top consideration for seniors, who seek a stable, non-slick walking surface that protects them from slip and fall accidents. Carpeted surfaces are significantly more effective at preventing slips and falls than smooth, hard surfaces. Maintaining balance, a consideration for individuals who use braces, a cane, or a walker, can be less difficult with low pile carpet combined with an extra firm cushion. The Carpet and Rug Institute recommends securely fastening carpet and rugs to provide firmer footing. Carpet can also reduce or eliminate reflected glare, minimizing disorientation, and can evem reduce leg fatigue associated with walking or standing on hard floors.

A study done by the Swedish Work Environment Authority (SWEA) concluded that carpet in the workplace is better for feet and helps prevent injuries more than hard floor coverings. The study refers to the report which documented employees’ pain at their work facility. Employees were reporting pain in their knees, feet, hip joints, and lower spine region. The employees’ pain was caused, the report states, by “ergonomic problems due to the floor covering in the building.” The Swedish study analyzes how various flooring materials absorb shock and the findings are painfully obvious. Softer floor coverings support feet much better, which results in keeping people from suffering from pain alike to that experienced by the employees. A main researcher of the study, Ingvar Dekmer, stated, “The clinical study… shows that changing to a softer floor covering results in a significant reduction of pain in feet.”

For people suffering with Plantar Fasciitis, a doctor could actually recommend carpet to help alleviate pain. Plantar Fasciitis (also known as heel spurs), is never a one issue problem. Heel spurs are a combination of factors: the shoe; whether or not the person is out of shape or overweight, and the surface; whether it is forgiving or not, and how much time the person has to stand on it. The more unyielding a particular surface is, Podiatrist Dr. Spence Milsner says, the more likely it is to be an aggravation of plantar fasciitis.

For anyone who has had issues with heel spurs (or Achilles tendons), Dr. Misner says the softer the better. “For any kind of foot ailment, carpet is better.” It can help prevent pain, or lessen the exacerbation; for example, it can take pain from a level eight or nine down to a three or four.”

Carpet floors have plenty of other advantages, but reducing the discomfort in your feet, should be pretty high on the list!