The Effect of Barefoot Walking Plantar Chronic Heel Pain

Meuhedet. Healthcare Organization

Status: Completed

Conditions: Plantar Fascitis

Treatments: Other: walking on a treadmill

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03677167

MeuhedetHCO

Details and patient eligibility

About

Many patients suffer from chronic heel pain, and studies have not yet found the most appropriate treatment. There are some researchers who claim that the pain is caused by weakness in the muscles of the foot, which causes increased pressure in the heel. In walking, the muscles of the foot are activated and strengthened. No research has yet been done on whether walking (barefoot or with shoes) on a treadmill reduces pain in the heel and improves function.

Full description

A bare foot functions differently than a foot in a shoe while walking, as there are differences in movement, muscle tone, pressure and sensation. Wearing shoes over the years can cause changes in walking and pain. In the examination of the feet of patients suffering from chronic pain in the heel was found a smaller volume of muscle, and calcification in the heel area that could be caused by increased pressure. Although the trend of physiotherapy treatments has changed in recent years from passive to active treatments, the overwhelming majority of studies are testing passive therapies only as a treatment option for chronic heel pain. Barefoot walking has not been tested as an option for treating chronic pain in the heel, although there are studies indicating that bare feet lead to reduced heel pressure, increased muscle work, and better proprioception.The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of barefoot walking on the level of pain, function and pain threshold for stress in patients with chronic heel pain.

Enrollment: 52 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Local pain in the heel that lasts more than 12 weeks,
• pain in the first steps in the morning
• Pain that disappears in situations of weightlessness
• Ability to walk on a moving track.

Exclusion criteria

• Pain in proximal areas along the leg or lower back pain that can radiate to the heel
• Sensory disorders for various reasons
• Tumors, fractures, previous operations in the lower extremities
• Irritable cardiovascular problems
• Balance problems and dizziness.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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52 participants in 2 patient groups

walking on a treadmill barefoot group

Experimental group

Description:

26 Patients in this group will walk barefoot on the treadmill and will be asked to walk barefoot at home and report the time of barefoot walking at home

Treatment:

Other: walking on a treadmill

Walking on a treadmill with shoes group

Active Comparator group

Description:

26 Patients in this group will walk with shoes on the treadmill

Treatment:

Other: walking on a treadmill