IT is the innovative footwear device which could help kick out the agony of chronic knee pain for good.

The biomechanical appliance is attached to sufferers' shoe soles and transforms patients lives by easing pain and keeping them active for longer.

Now patients at a Hampshire clinic are some of the first in the country to try out the high-tech device.

Physiotherapists at Therapeutics in Eastleigh are among a select number of UK medical experts certified to use the cutting edge AposTherapy appliance to combat Osteoarthritis in the knee joint.

The condition - which affects five million UK people - is characterised by severe pain caused by wear and tear of the joints.

Patients usually have to undergo invasive knee surgery or a knee replacement to treat it.

But the new foot-mounted device is adjusted by specially trained chartered physiotherapists to set the body's optimal alignment which in turn reduces pressure and strain on painful areas in the joint.

Sufferers wear it for around an hour a day during daily activities and as they walk the appliance stimulates and retrains the muscles - encouraging the body to adopt a corrected and less painful walking style.

The body eventually learns to retain this alignment even when the device has been removed..

Tests show that 85 per cent of patients experience pain reduction after the treatment - most benefitting within a month.

This improves mobility and in some cases the need for an operation.

New patients receive an initial consultation where their walking style and gait is analysed to asses the underlying cause of their symptoms.

The results are used to create a personally calibrated foot-worn device to help relieve pressure on their knee and re-train the muscular system around the joint.

They receive regular check-up to monitor progress and for the appliance to be adjusted if necessary.

Kim Waters, clinical director at the medical centre in Stoneham Lane, said: "AposTherapy is a game changer for our clinic and I can see it providing so many benefits for our clients. Our aim is to identify patient problems and solve them in the best way that we can.

"It is an effective, non-surgical and medication-free treatment that we can now offer.

"We are really pleased to be one of the first certified physiotherapy clinics in the country to offer the programme.

"It is going to help people with knee pain in Southampton to stay mobile and to keep active.”