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Treatment of plantar fasciitis by low-Dye taping and iontophoresis - short-term results of a double blinded, randomised, placebo controlled clinical trial of dexamethasone and acetic acid. Br J Sports Med. 2006 Feb 17;
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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 patients with medial calcaneal origin plantar fasciitis recruited from three Sports Medicine clinics. All subjects 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 low-Dye 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 subjects were used in the study. At the conclusion of the treatment phase all groups showed statistically significant improvements in morning pain, average pain and morning stiffness. However for morning pain, the acetic acid/taping group demonstrated a statistically greater improvement than the dexamethasone/taping intervention. At the follow up the treatment effect of acetic acid/taping and dexamethasone/taping remained statistically significant for symptoms of pain. In contrast only acetic acid maintained treatment effect for stiffness symptoms compared with placebo (p=0.031) and dexamethasone.
CONCLUSIONS: This study found that 6 treatments of acetic acid iontophoresis combined with taping gives the greatest relief of the stiffness symptoms and equivalent relief from pain symptoms as treatment with dexamethasone/taping. For the best clinical results at 4 weeks this study demonstrated that taping combined with acetic acid is the preferred treatment option when compared to taping combined with dexamethasone or saline iontophoresis.
Reuters press release on this study: Plantar Fasciitis Responds Well to Acetic Acid Iontophoresis
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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 14 - Iontophoresis with acetic acid is more effective than iontophoresis with dexamethasone in relieving pain and stiffness due to plantar fasciitis, investigators report. However, the effects of treatment are only short-term.
There have been reports that iontophoresis with dexamethasone or acetic acid benefits patients with plantar fasciitis, Drs. H. R. Osborne and G. T. Allison explain in their study, published in the June issue of British Journal of Sports Medicine. However, there have been no comparisons of the two agents, and no reports on the efficacy of LowDye taping, for the treatment of plantar fasciitis.
They therefore conducted a double-blinded, randomized trial among 31 patients with medial calcaneal origin plantar fasciitis that was symptomatic for at least 1 month.
The treatments consisted of iontophoresis with 0.4% dexamethasone (n = 11), 5% acetic acid (n = 10), or saline placebo (n = 10). Six treatments of iontophoresis with each agent were performed over a 2-week period. LowDye taping was replaced at each visit and then discontinued at the end of the 2 weeks.
Patients reported measures of pain and stiffness at baseline, 2 weeks and 4 weeks, using a 10-cm visual analog scale.
At the end of 2 weeks, all groups reported significant improvement in morning pain and average pain in the past week, but acetic acid was the most effective. However, by the 4-week follow-up visit, effects on pain were not maintained in any group. A similar pattern was observed with residual pain and worst pain in the past 2 days.
However, the treatment gains in pain from acetic acid or placebo were lost by the end of 4 weeks.
In terms of morning stiffness, all three treatments reduced morning stiffness, but the difference was statistically significant only in the acetic acid and placebo groups. The reduction in stiffness was maintained only among patients treated with acetic acid.
Five patients developed skin irritation due to the LowDye taping, so the physicians, based at the University of Western Australian in Perth, recommend taping not be used for more than 2 weeks
I posted this in another thread on the site but this information may be relevant here. Look at the date of the following publication as well! Its certainly not a new idea, but may have been re-invented.
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Gentlepods,
There are many suggested uses for Iontophoresis in Josephs Khan's excellent book 'Principles and practice of electrotherapy (1994) ISBN 0-443-08919-1.
'Tap water Iontophoresis' is just one of them. I purchased an 'Iontophor' from the States about 5 years ago and I must admit to some interesting results, especially with 1% hydrocortisone for PF. Also CuSo4 for onychomycosis --- shame about the blue, still they look pretty.
Treatment of plantar fasciitis by low-Dye taping and iontophoresis - short-term results of a double blinded, randomised, placebo controlled clinical trial of dexamethasone and acetic acid. Br J Sports Med. 2006 Feb 17;
Does anyone have one of these Iontophoresis machines and were are you able to get them??
the following link on my site shows my life - tech iontophore. http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/fitfeet/i...es/Page602.htm You can buy some in this country, but much cheaper, and better choice to order one via the net from the states. Life tech inc. are good. Its a handy tool, but for plantar facitiis i now tend to use prolotherapy. Gets much faster results.
Best Regards, Martin
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Darn it Jim, I'm just an old country Chiropodist - not a miracle worker
Low-Dye taping and iontophoresis for plantar fasciitis
Ionophoresis Machines
Linear Mode
