The Therapeutic Effect of Targeted Intrinsic Foot Muscles Exercises in Plantar Fasciitis

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Plantar Fasciitis, Chronic; Pain

Treatments: Other: targeted intrinsic foot muscle exercises

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05455645

IFM exercise PF

Details and patient eligibility

About

A reduction of intrinsic foot muscle sizes has been identified in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis. Weaker intrinsic foot muscles has been suggested to decrease the medial longitudinal arch height and subsequently increase extra tensile stress in the plantar fascia, resulting in the chronicity of the condition. Therefore, it is speculated that atrophic intrinsic foot muscles may be a significant risk factor of developing chronic plantar fasciitis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of an 8-week targeted intrinsic foot muscles exercise regimen on the intrinsic foot muscle size, symptomatic relief, and foot function improvement in long-distance runners with chronic plantar fasciitis.

Full description

Distance runners are defined as running with more than 20km per week for more than 2 years. All recruited participants have > 1 year of plantar fasciitis. The diagnosis were made based on clinical symptoms and the thickness of plantar fasciitis > 4.0mm at the medial tubercle of heel by ultrasound imaging.

Arm 1: The purpose of this arm of the study is to determine if a 8-week targeted foot muscle exercise regimen, instructed with real-time ultrasound, affect the intrinsic foot muscle size, symptomatic relief, and foot function improvement of distance runners with plantar fasciitis. 32 participants will be recruited in this arm.

Arm 2: This group will not engage in any training, but will serve as a comparator for the intervention arm.

Enrollment: 64 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. A weekly mileage of at least 20km

2. Have running experience of at least 2 years prior to the experiment

3. if they reported tenderness on palpation of the medial calcaneal tuberosity and exhibited one of the following complaints:

   • Plantar heel pain > 1 year
   • Pain on visual analog scale of equal to or greater than 4 out of 10
   • pain on the first step in the morning or after prolonged sitting,
   • pain on prolonged standing and/or walking
   • pain when running

Exclusion criteria

1. Contraindications to MRI scans

2. had undergone surgery to the plantar fascia or

3. local steroid injection within the last 3 months or

4. Any of the following conditions:

   • systemic arthritis,
   • neurologic conditions
   • any coexisting painful musculoskeletal condition of the lower limb.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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64 participants in 2 patient groups

Targeted intrinsic foot muscles exercise regimen

Experimental group

Description:

4 targeted intrinsic foot exercise will be performed at least 5 times per week, once in the laboratory, and four times at home. The participants will be followed up weekly at the laboratory visit. The real-time ultrasound imaging of intrinsic foot muscles will be used as guided visual biofeedback to instruct all participants to execute all exercise movement in a correct manner. If the participant misses a session, he/she is expected to replace the lost session within the same week.

Treatment:

Other: targeted intrinsic foot muscle exercises

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

continue normal physical activity,