Biomechanical and histiological considerations for development of plantar fasciitis and evaluation of arch taping as a treatment option to control associated plantar heel pain: a single-subject design

Abstract

Study design: Alternating single-subject A-B and A-B-A designs. Objective: To discuss biomechanical and histiological issues related to the development of plantar fasciitis and to evaluate the effectiveness of arch taping in controlling heel pain during ambulation. Background: Plantar heel pain as a consequence of plantar fascial strain, a condition frequently diagnosed as plantar fasciitis, can significantly interfere with functional ambulation. Biomechanical causes of plantar fasciitis have been related to microfailure of plantar fascial tissue followed by incomplete repair resulting from abnormal histiological responses. Arch taping has been suggested as a viable treatment option for patients with this diagnosis but few studies have documented its clinical effectiveness in reducing pain. Methods and measures: Two female subjects diagnosed with plantar fasciitis with a history of chronic heel pain participated in the clinical evaluation. Time to onset of pain was recorded during ambulation with and without arch taping on several days. Results: Visual and statistical analysis using the Two Standard Deviation Band method showed improvement at the P<0.05 significance level in walking time for both subjects with arch taping. Conclusions: Biomechanical and histiological factors need to be considered for successful management of plantar fasciitis. The arch taping technique applied in these two cases was effective in controlling pain during ambulation and could be considered as a viable treatment option for other individuals with similar clinical presentations. Slower healing time of dense connective tissue such as plantar fascia needs to be protected for longer periods of time to ensure resolution of plantar fasciitis.