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Smart Phone-Based Application for Evaluation and Rehabilitation of HindFoot Pain

Not Applicable
Conditions
Feet Pes Cavus
Feet Pes Planus (Flatfoot)
Foot Diseases
Achilles Tendinopathy
Plantar Fascitis
Interventions
Diagnostic Test: smart phone application
Registration Number
NCT04423900
Lead Sponsor
Yeditepe University
Brief Summary

This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the status of the individuals with hindfoot pain and to recommend preventive precautions and appropriate exercise programs with Smart Phone-Based Applications. Additionally, to compare the results of patients who attended through mobile applications (Achilles Tendinopathy and Plantar Fasciitis) with the results of patients included in the hands-on program.

Detailed Description

Foot pain is common in the general population, with prevalence estimates ranging from 17 to 30% . A systematic review concluded that nearly one-quarter of adults over age 45 experience frequent foot pain. Foot pain has been associated with poor balance, gait problems, the limitation of daily living activities, and health-related quality of life. It has been reported that at least two-thirds of individuals experience moderate functional daily life problems .The etiology of hindfoot pain is mostly associated with Achilles Tendinopathy and Plantar Fasciitis, which are prevalent, affecting millions of people each year . Most cases of hindfoot pain if not treated, they will get worse with time and resistant symptoms. This is why to get more information on prevalence and risk factors in the general population is necessary to organize health care planning and the extent of clinical need.An increase in the use of digital technology and smart phones globally with mobile applications provide an alternative solution to the planning of primary health care services. In the US, approximately 90% of adults have a mobile phone, and 58% of these prefer smart phones, while in Turkey, 98% of adults use mobile phones, and 77% of them are smart phones owners. The popularity of smart phones provides opportunities for reaching information and giving skills to users through applications. These applications offer new opportunities for collecting, evaluating, and monitoring health information and have portability, the flexibility of use, and a width of the access area.With the concept of this approaching (using digital technologies,) several systematic reviews have examined digital programs using for different health conditions/ pathologies (paralysis, lack of balance/stabilization, cardiac disorders, and joint / extremity). A great deal of physiotherapy interventions for hindfoot pain includes electrotherapy agents, 'hands-on' therapy, stretching, and strengthening exercises. The exercise programs are an essential part of rehabilitation programs for hindfoot pain, and patients who involved in this exercise program also need to get feedback by physiotherapist. For this reason, the digital technology-based applications are considered to be contributive for follow-up exercise regularly and detecting the changes and progression. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, a smartphone application research involving hindfoot pathology with suggesting assessment methods and including exercise program is not available in the literature. Thereby, the study aims to evaluate the status of the individuals with hindfoot pain and to recommend preventive precautions and appropriate exercise programs with Smart Phone-Based Applications and to compare the results of patients who attended through mobile applications (Achilles Tendinopathy and Plantar Fasciitis) with the results of patients included in the hands-on program.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
120
Inclusion Criteria
  • Pain in the heel and surrounding area
  • Have given consent to be a volunteer for participating to the study
  • 18 years and older
  • Ability to use a smartphone
Exclusion Criteria
  • Having foot and ankle injury and surgery in the last three months
  • Have received physiotherapy or local injection before randomization
  • Having major pathologies during the rehabilitation program (severe heart and neuropsychiatric disorders, complicated diabetes mellitus)
  • Neoplastic formation in the foot-ankle region
  • Vision problem
  • Night pain

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Achilles Tendinopathy App Exercise Groupsmart phone applicationVideo simulation of patient education (definition of the disease, risk factors, lifestyle modifications, prevention methods) will be performed to people via smart phone app application. Individuals will receive feedback after completing the training program and will then be included in the exercise program. The mobile application provides feedback so that the exercise program (stretching, strengthening, self-myofascial relaxation exercises) determined according to the diagnosis of the patients is performed by the patients at twice a day for eight weeks.
Plantar Fasciitis Home Exercise Groupsmart phone applicationPatients will learn the exercises by the physiotherapist in the clinic. Patients will be included in the training program (stretching, strengthening, self-myofascial release exercises) -only once. Then, patients will do this program at their home twice a day for eight weeks.
Achilles Tendinopathy Conventional Physiotherapy Groupsmart phone applicationIn this group, patients will first be included in the patient education and exercises program in the clinic-only once. Mulligan Concept - Manual Therapy and Compressive myofascial relaxation methods will be applied to the individuals who have completed the patient training program by the physiotherapist. Patients will participate in the rehabilitation program twice a week for eight weeks. These patients will perform their home exercises twice daily and for eight weeks.
Plantar Fasciitis App Exercise Groupsmart phone applicationVideo simulation of patient education (definition of the disease, risk factors, lifestyle modifications, prevention methods) will be performed to people via smart phone app application. Individuals will receive feedback after completing the training program and will then be included in the exercise program. The mobile application provides feedback so that the exercise program (stretching, strengthening, self-myofascial relaxation exercises) determined according to the diagnosis of the patients is performed by the patients at twice a day for eight weeks.
Achilles Tendinopathy Home Exercise Groupsmart phone applicationPatients will learn the exercises by the physiotherapist in the clinic. Patients will be included in the training program (stretching, strengthening, self-myofascial release exercises) -only once. Then, patients will do this program at their home twice a day for eight weeks.
Plantar Fasciitis Conventional Physiotherapy Groupsmart phone applicationIn this group, patients will first be included in the patient education and exercises program in the clinic-only once. Mulligan Concept - Manual Therapy and Compressive myofascial relaxation methods will be applied to the individuals who have completed the patient training program by the physiotherapist. Patients will participate in the rehabilitation program twice a week for eight weeks. These patients will perform their home exercises twice daily and for eight weeks.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Feiss Line test8 weeks

Feiss Line is an ankle examination procedure that tests for pes planus, flatfoot, fallen medial longitundinal arch.Patient should be standing with weight distributed evenly.

The examiner uses a marker to mark the inferior apex of medial malleolus and medial surface of the base of the base of the 1st metatarsal.

The examiner draws a line connecting the two points. The examiner locates the the navicular tuberosity and marks it.

Visual Analog Scale - Pain Assesment8 weeks

Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to estimate the severity of participants' first step (morning time) and activity pain. It consists of a line, usually 100 mm long, whose ends are labeled as the extremes (no pain and worst pain imaginable); the rest of the line is blank.

the Range of Motion of the ankle8 weeks

Physiotherapist will measure the Range of Motion of the ankle by using Goniometer

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia8 weeks

Tampa consists of 17 questions and is used in diseases associated with acute and chronic low back pain, fibromyalgia, and musculoskeletal injuries. The scale uses a 4-point Likert score (1 = Strongly disagree, 4 = Strongly agree). A total score is calculated after the reversal of items 4, 8, 12, and 16. The patients can have a total score of between 17-68. The higher the score indicates, the higher the kinesiophobia

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Elif Tuğçe Çil

🇹🇷

İstanbul, Europe, Turkey

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