An interventional study of High-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy and Foot core training in Flexible Flatfoot, sponsored by National Taiwan University Hospital. Completed at 1 site in Taiwan. Open to participants aged 20 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-30.
Sponsored by National Taiwan University Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The objective of this trial is to assess the effects of high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training targeting the intrinsic foot muscles on plantar load, static foot posture, intrinsic foot muscle morphology and intrinsic foot muscle activation in individuals with pronated foot.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Question 1: To compare changes in plantar load following interventions of high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training, high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy alone, and sham high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training.
Question 2: To compare changes in static foot posture, intrinsic foot muscle morphology, and intrinsic foot muscle activation following interventions of high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training, high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy alone, and sham high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training.
Question 3: To assess the effects of each intervention on plantar load, static foot posture, intrinsic foot muscle morphology, and intrinsic foot muscle activation in individuals with pronated foot.
Participants will undergo stimulation of their intrinsic foot muscles through high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy, and they will also be required to isometrically contract their intrinsic foot muscles during the designated exercise program. Researchers will assess the effects of high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training by evaluating plantar load during walking, static foot posture, intrinsic foot muscle morphology and intrinsic foot muscle activation during walking.
The objective of this trial is to assess the effects of high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training targeting the intrinsic foot muscles on plantar load, static foot posture, intrinsic foot muscle morphology and intrinsic foot muscle activation in individuals with pronated foot.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Question 1: To compare changes in plantar load following interventions of high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training, high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy alone, and sham high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training.
Question 2: To compare changes in static foot posture, intrinsic foot muscle morphology, and intrinsic foot muscle activation following interventions of high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training, high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy alone, and sham high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training.
Question 3: To assess the effects of each intervention on plantar load, static foot posture, intrinsic foot muscle morphology, and intrinsic foot muscle activation in individuals with pronated foot.
Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: the high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training group, the high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy group, or the sham high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy combined with foot core training group.
High-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy sessions will last for 20 minutes each, while the foot core training program will comprise 4 exercises, with 10 repetitions per set and 3 sets per session for each exercise. Participants will undergo these interventions twice a week over a 6-week period.
Plantar load and electromyographic signals of the abductor hallucis muscle during gait, ultrasonography for morphological analysis of the intrinsic foot muscles, and static foot posture will be evaluated at baseline and 6 weeks following the intervention.
173 studies on the registry are indexed under Flatfoot; 44 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 30 is below the median of 40 across 122 interventional studies indexed under Flatfoot.
Browse Flatfoot studies →National Taiwan University Hospital is the lead sponsor of 2,615 studies on the registry; 576 are open to participants now.
Of its 11 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 2 (18%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
High-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy is used to stimulate intrinsic foot muscles, and foot core training is performed with intrinsic foot muscle isometric contraction exercise.
Device: High-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy · Behavioral: Foot core training
High-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy is used to stimulate intrinsic foot muscles
Behavioral: Foot core training
Sham high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy is applied on intrinsic foot muscles, and foot core training is performed with intrinsic foot muscle isometric contraction exercise.
Behavioral: Foot core training · Device: Sham high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy
High-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy is applied to intrinsic foot muscles, the intensity is set to stimulate muscle contraction. 20 minutes of intervention, twice a week, and a total of 6 weeks
Foot core training will consist of 4 exercises with 10 repetitions per set and 3 sets per session for each exercise. Twice a week for a total of six weeks.
Sham high-intensity focused electromagnetic therapy is applied to intrinsic foot muscles, the intensity is unable to stimulate muscle contraction. 20 minutes of intervention, twice a week, and a total of 6 weeks
Change from baseline in plantar load at week 6
Plantar load is measured by in-shoe pressure measurement system, and the data is collected during walking.
Time frame: baseline, week 6
Change from baseline in static foot posture at week 6
Static foot posture is measured by navicular drop test and Foot Posture Index
Time frame: baseline, week 6
Change from baseline in intrinsic foot muscle morphology at week 6
Intrinsic foot muscle morphology is measured by ultrasonography, include measurements of thickness of abductor hallucis, flexor hallucis brevis and flexor digitorum brevis, and cross-sectional area of abductor hallucis
Time frame: baseline, week 6
Change from baseline in intrinsic foot muscle activation at week 6
Intrinsic foot muscle activation is measured by electromyography, and data is collected during walking
Time frame: baseline, week 6
Plan to share: No
This study is completed, as verified in Jun 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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