Effective treatment for plantar fasciitis : a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial of Iontophoresis and low-Dye taping

[Truncated] Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a common disabling problem in the general population. This thesis, in three parts, addresses the use of iontophoresis and low-Dye taping in the short­term management of PF, the results that can be obtained from the commonly used x-ray and the long-term outcome of patients treated with iontophoresis and low-Dye taping. i. Treatment of plantar fasciitis by iontophoresis and low-Dye taping - short-term results of a double blinded, randomised, placebo controlled clinical trial of dexamethasone and acetic acid. Objectives: To determine if in the short-term acetic acid and dexamethasone iontophoresis combined with low-Dye taping, are effective in treating the symptoms of plantar fasciitis. Methods: A double-blinded randomised placebo controlled trial of 31 participants with medial calcaneal origin plantar fasciitis recruited from three Sports Medicine clinics. All participants received six treatments of iontophoresis to the site of maximum tenderness on the plantar aspect of the foot over a period of two weeks, continuous low­Dye taping during this time and instructions on stretching exercises for the gastrocnemius/soleus. They received dexamethasone 0.4%, Placebo (0.9% NaCl) or acetic acid 5%. Stiffness and pain outcomes were recorded at the initial session, the end of 6 treatments and the follow-up at 4 weeks. Results: Data for forty-two feet from thirty-one participants were used in the study.