Here is some of the information I recently shared in the October newsletter. Each newsletter has a specific focus. This newsletter is focused on foot and ankle conditions. If you would be interested in receiving my newsletters, which include links to the studies as well as special offers and sales coupons, please head over to my contact page and sign up.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
STUDIES and ARTICLES
1. A study titled The Effect of Toe-grasping Exercises on Balance Ability in Home-based Rehabilitation: A Randomized Controlled Trial by Block randomization, published in Phys Ther Res in Oct 2021 concludes: Toe-Grasping exercises could improve the balance ability of home-based rehabilitation users. This suggests the clinical significance of toe function in rehabilitation programs.
2. A study titled Comparative Effectiveness of Minimally Invasive Nonsurgical Treatments for Plantar Fasciitis: A Network Meta-analysis of 30 Randomized Controlled Trials, published in Pain Physician in Nov 2021 concludes: The miniscalpel-needle treatment should be recommended as the best therapy, followed by Botulinum toxin A in the gastrocnemius. Corticosteroid and platelet-rich plasma are common medications that remain valuable in clinical practice. Peppering technique can be performed after the injection of medication.
3. A study titled Impact of Asthma on Plantar Pressures in a Sample of Adult Patients; A Case-Control Study published in Journal of Personalized Medicine in Nov 2021 concludes: …alterations in static plantar pressures in asthmatic patients compared to healthy individuals. Specifically, the subjects with asthma showed less maximum pressure in the right forefoot and less weight on the left heel, which appear to be associated with the asthma disease.
4. A study titled Evaluation of plantar fasciitis improvement after shock wave therapy in calcaneal spur patients by musculoskeletal ultrasonography published in Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation in Nov 2021 concludes: Plantar fascia thickness increases significantly in calcaneal spur patients and responds to treatment. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy decreases the thickness of the plantar fascia and improves pain and function significantly
5. A study titled Myofascial Treatment Techniques on the Plantar Surface Influence Functional Performance in the Dorsal Kinetic Chain, published in Journal of Sport Science and Medicine in 2022 concludes: The combination of self- and therapeutic massage techniques on the plantar surface applied in our study might reduce performance in terms of force generation along the superficial fascial back line. Our hypotheses is supported by the fact that the plantar fascia itself was not loaded during the functional performance test and that the opposite effect was observed on the control side. As we applied a combination of different self and therapeutic massage techniques, it should be considered that some techniques, like foam rolling, might have no effect, while others, like stretching, had a negative effect.
6. A study, titled A study to Analyze the effect of Calcaneal Taping Techniques in Plantar fasciitis published in Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology in 2021 concludes: Ultrasound therapy along with plantar fascia stretching and calcaneal taping technique was found more effective than ultrasound therapy and plantar fascia stretching alone at reducing pain in the heel and increasing functional ability of the foot.
7. A study titled Effects of dry needling and stretching exercise versus stretching exercise only on pain intensity, unction, and sonographic characteristics of plantar fascia in the subjects with plantar fasciitis: a parallel single-blinded randomized controlled trial published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice in Jan 2022 concludes: There were considerable differences tween the two groups and the experimental group experienced more improvements in the primary outcomes (first step pain) compared to the control group. For secondary outcomes, plantar fascia thickness at insertion significantly decreased, and the echogenicity in the two regions significantly increased in the experiments group.
8. A study titled Effectiveness of the Graston Technique on Pain and General Foot Health in Patients with Chronic Plantar Fasciitis; A Randomized Clinical Trial published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine in Feb 2022 concludes: in the case of general foot health, there was no significant difference between the groups at the end of the fourth week. The use of the Graston technique combined with conventional physical therapy shows significant results compared with conventional physical therapy alone; i.e., Graston therapy speeds up the recovery from heel pain and foot function in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis.
9. A study titled The Effectiveness of Two Types of Night Splints on the Range of Motion of the Ankle Joint, Pain Intensity, and Quality of Life in Patients with Plantar Fasciitis: A Pilot Study with Parallel Groups, published in Rehabilitation Journal 2022 concludes: All three orthoses (tension calf splint, tension plantar fascia splint, heel pad) used in this study significantly reduced pain in people with plantar fasciitis. The results also suggest that a tension calf splint has greater effectiveness in improving pain severity and soft tissue flexibility than a tension fascia splint.
10. A study titled Is Dry Needling effective for the management of plantar heel pain or plantar fasciitis? An updated systematic review and meta-analysis published in Pain Medicine in Mar 2021 concluded: moderate to low evidence suggests a positive effect of TrP dry needling for improving pain intensity and pain-related disability in patients with plantar heel pain of musculoskeletal origin at short- and long-term, respectively.
TIDBITS
An article titled Kinematics and Kinetics of Ankle and Foot Complex, published in Conceptual Biomechanics and Kinesiology in Nov 2021 reviews the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the foot and ankle and summarizes some information about the joints.
Here is some of the information I recently shared in the October newsletter. Each newsletter has a specific focus. This newsletter is focused on foot and ankle conditions. If you would be interested in receiving my newsletters, which include links to the studies as well as special offers and sales coupons, please head over to my contact page and sign up.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
STUDIES and ARTICLES
1. A study titled The Effect of Toe-grasping Exercises on Balance Ability in Home-based Rehabilitation: A Randomized Controlled Trial by Block randomization, published in Phys Ther Res in Oct 2021 concludes: Toe-Grasping exercises could improve the balance ability of home-based rehabilitation users. This suggests the clinical significance of toe function in rehabilitation programs.
2. A study titled Comparative Effectiveness of Minimally Invasive Nonsurgical Treatments for Plantar Fasciitis: A Network Meta-analysis of 30 Randomized Controlled Trials, published in Pain Physician in Nov 2021 concludes: The miniscalpel-needle treatment should be recommended as the best therapy, followed by Botulinum toxin A in the gastrocnemius. Corticosteroid and platelet-rich plasma are common medications that remain valuable in clinical practice. Peppering technique can be performed after the injection of medication.
3. A study titled Impact of Asthma on Plantar Pressures in a Sample of Adult Patients; A Case-Control Study published in Journal of Personalized Medicine in Nov 2021 concludes: …alterations in static plantar pressures in asthmatic patients compared to healthy individuals. Specifically, the subjects with asthma showed less maximum pressure in the right forefoot and less weight on the left heel, which appear to be associated with the asthma disease.
4. A study titled Evaluation of plantar fasciitis improvement after shock wave therapy in calcaneal spur patients by musculoskeletal ultrasonography published in Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation in Nov 2021 concludes: Plantar fascia thickness increases significantly in calcaneal spur patients and responds to treatment. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy decreases the thickness of the plantar fascia and improves pain and function significantly
5. A study titled Myofascial Treatment Techniques on the Plantar Surface Influence Functional Performance in the Dorsal Kinetic Chain, published in Journal of Sport Science and Medicine in 2022 concludes: The combination of self- and therapeutic massage techniques on the plantar surface applied in our study might reduce performance in terms of force generation along the superficial fascial back line. Our hypotheses is supported by the fact that the plantar fascia itself was not loaded during the functional performance test and that the opposite effect was observed on the control side. As we applied a combination of different self and therapeutic massage techniques, it should be considered that some techniques, like foam rolling, might have no effect, while others, like stretching, had a negative effect.
6. A study, titled A study to Analyze the effect of Calcaneal Taping Techniques in Plantar fasciitis published in Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology in 2021 concludes: Ultrasound therapy along with plantar fascia stretching and calcaneal taping technique was found more effective than ultrasound therapy and plantar fascia stretching alone at reducing pain in the heel and increasing functional ability of the foot.
7. A study titled Effects of dry needling and stretching exercise versus stretching exercise only on pain intensity, unction, and sonographic characteristics of plantar fascia in the subjects with plantar fasciitis: a parallel single-blinded randomized controlled trial published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice in Jan 2022 concludes: There were considerable differences tween the two groups and the experimental group experienced more improvements in the primary outcomes (first step pain) compared to the control group. For secondary outcomes, plantar fascia thickness at insertion significantly decreased, and the echogenicity in the two regions significantly increased in the experiments group.
8. A study titled Effectiveness of the Graston Technique on Pain and General Foot Health in Patients with Chronic Plantar Fasciitis; A Randomized Clinical Trial published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine in Feb 2022 concludes: in the case of general foot health, there was no significant difference between the groups at the end of the fourth week. The use of the Graston technique combined with conventional physical therapy shows significant results compared with conventional physical therapy alone; i.e., Graston therapy speeds up the recovery from heel pain and foot function in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis.
9. A study titled The Effectiveness of Two Types of Night Splints on the Range of Motion of the Ankle Joint, Pain Intensity, and Quality of Life in Patients with Plantar Fasciitis: A Pilot Study with Parallel Groups, published in Rehabilitation Journal 2022 concludes: All three orthoses (tension calf splint, tension plantar fascia splint, heel pad) used in this study significantly reduced pain in people with plantar fasciitis. The results also suggest that a tension calf splint has greater effectiveness in improving pain severity and soft tissue flexibility than a tension fascia splint.
10. A study titled Is Dry Needling effective for the management of plantar heel pain or plantar fasciitis? An updated systematic review and meta-analysis published in Pain Medicine in Mar 2021 concluded: moderate to low evidence suggests a positive effect of TrP dry needling for improving pain intensity and pain-related disability in patients with plantar heel pain of musculoskeletal origin at short- and long-term, respectively.
TIDBITS
An article titled Kinematics and Kinetics of Ankle and Foot Complex, published in Conceptual Biomechanics and Kinesiology in Nov 2021 reviews the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the foot and ankle and summarizes some information about the joints.