Plantar Fasciitis Clinical Trials 2023

What Are Plantar-Fasciitis Clinical Trials?

The line of tissue that connects the foot heel bone to the toes is called the fascia.

When the fascia is exposed to tension and stress, little tears may appear, and as these are stretched and repeatedly torn, it can become irritated and inflamed.

This may result in a sharp stabbing pain in the heal, particularly after the patient has just got out of bed after a night of sleep. The pain will generally lessen or completely disappear as the patient moves through the day.

The condition is called Plantar-Fasciitis and affects 10% of all people in their lifetime.

The condition is painful and can cause disability and impaired balance.

While the proximate causes are not well understood, the risk factors leading to Plantar-Fasciitis include.

• Patients between 40 and 60 are the most common sufferers.
• Exercises such as long-distance running, ballet dancing, and aerobic dance.
• An atypical walking pattern, flat feet, or high arches.
• Obese patients place additional stress on the plantar fascia.
• Occupations where people have to work while standing for long periods

Why Is Plantar-Fasciitis Being Studied Through Clinical Trials?

It is believed that 10% of the population will suffer from Plantar-Fasciitis during their lifetime, with the greatest incidence being in patients between 40 and 60 years old.

If ignored, Plantar-Fasciitis may cause a patient to reduce their daily activity and result in the person unconsciously altering their walking pattern, which can lead to skeletal problems that may affect the back, hip, knee, and feet.

What Are The Types Of Treatments Available For Plantar-Fasciitis?

In most cases, the symptoms associated with Plantar-Fasciitis recede following conservative treatment, which may include.

• Using ice on the painful area.
• Carrying out stretching exercises
• Avoiding the circumstances and activities which cause pain.

In more extreme cases, the following treatments may be prescribed.

• Medicated pain relief and inflammation reduction using ibuprofen or naproxen sodium.
• Being schooled by a physical therapist in the most effective stretches and exercises.
• Wearing splints at night.
• Wearing foot orthotics designed to remove the pressure on the fascia.
• A walking stick, crutches, or boots are used in extreme cases.

Examples Of Current Plantar-Fasciitis Trials

Three examples of current Plantar-Fasciitis trials are listed below.

Testing How Effective Trigger Point Dry Needling When Treating Plantar Fasciitis

Studies have demonstrated that dry needling, which focuses on the myofascial trigger points (MTrPs), may be effective. Previous studies have been too small and have led to a generalization of the effects. There also have been no studies conducted on the effect that dry needling has had on patient balance and ankle dorsiflexion range of motion. This study aims to correct this.

Establishing The Efficacy of Myofascial Chain Release Techniques On Plantar Fasciitis

This study will test how effective Myofascial Chain Release Techniques are compared to traditional physiotherapy. One group will receive conventional physiotherapy, while the other will receive physiotherapy and Myofascial Chain Release Techniques.

Comparing The Efficacy Of Surgical Compared To Non-Surgical Treatment

While most Plantar Fasciitis sufferers' symptoms improve after 12 to 24 months, patients who have experienced no relief in seven months have a poor prognosis. These patients should be offered additional treatment forms. This study will compare the pain levels of patients who receive surgical treatment (radiofrequency microanatomy, shoe inserts, and patient education) against those who receive non-surgical treatment (strength training, shoe inserts, and patient education.)

What Are Some Recent Breakthrough Clinical Trials For Plantar-Fasciitis?

Clinical trials focusing on Plantar-Fasciitis have been performed as follows.

2011: Using Acupuncture Treatment For Plantar Fasciitis – In this study, participants were treated using acupuncture over six weeks. At the end of the study, the baseline pain in the morning was reduced by 22.6 points from a baseline of 55.3 points at the one-month follow-up.

2020: Assessing Various Interventions And Their Effectiveness For Plantar Fasciitis – This study assessed the efficacy of High-intensity laser therapy (HILT), Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT). The study found that both therapies were more effective than non-surgical interventions.

Who Are Some Of The Key Opinion Leaders / Researchers Conducting Plantar-Fasciitis Clinical Trial Research?

Yaodong Gu, Professor, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.

Jeffrey Gusenoff, MD. He is a professor of plastic surgery at the School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Wenjay Sung, DPM, Rosalind Franklin University of Medical Sciences