Clinical trial NCT05920551: Gastrocnemius Stretching on Plantar Heel Pain, Foot Mobility and Function in Patients With Plantar Fasciitis
Official title: Efficacy of Gastrocnemius Stretching on Plantar Heel Pain, Foot Mobility and Function in Patients With Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Plantar Fascitis
Lead sponsor: Ahram Canadian University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2023-06-27
Enrollment: 60
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 30
Maximum age (years): 50
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of gastrocnemius stretching exercises on plantar heel pain intensity, foot mobility, and function in patients with plantar fasciitis.

Detailed description: This randomized controlled trial will include patients diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a study group performing gastrocnemius stretches or a control group. Both groups will receive ultrasound therapy and fascia strengthening exercises. The study group will additionally perform specific gastrocnemius stretching exercises. Outcome measures will be assessed before and after 4 weeks of intervention and will include pain intensity, foot mobility using an inversion/eversion device, and function using the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure. The study hypothesizes that the study group will demonstrate greater improvements in pain, foot mobility, and function compared to the control group. The study findings could guide physical therapy interventions for patients with plantar fasciitis.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Pain reproduced with palpation of the plantar fascia
2. localized and sharp but not radiating
3. worse in the initial step after and an extended period of rest
4. decreased initially after the first steps but exacerbated with increased activityat least 6 weeks
5. unresponsive conservative form of plantar fasciitis care (ie, rest, stretching, full-length silicone insole, prescription NSAIDs when taken for a period of 2 weeks)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. history of previous steroid injections
2. previous surgery of the foot, lumbar spine disc herniation or back injury
3. patients with rheumatic diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthropathy, gout disease, enthesopathy, Sjogren's syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Changes in Plantar heel pain intensity
timeFrame: Changes in Plantar heel pain intensity at Baseline and after 4 weeks of intervention and 3 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Changes in Foot mobility
timeFrame: Changes in foot mobility at Baseline and after 4 weeks of intervention and 3 months
measure: Changes in Foot function
timeFrame: Changes in foot function at Baseline and after 4 weeks of intervention and 3 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Al Ḩayy Ath Thāmin
country: Egypt
facility: Outpatient clinic of faculty of physical therapy, Ahram Canadian University
state: Giza
Study officials:
affiliation: Faculty of Physical Therapy, Ahram Canadian University
name: Amal Fawzy, Ph.d
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References: