An interventional study of Kinesio Taping and Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) in Plantar Fasciitis, sponsored by Ankara City Hospital Bilkent. Recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-08.
Sponsored by Ankara City Hospital Bilkent · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study aims to evaluate and compare the short- and mid-term effects of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) alone versus a combination of ESWT and Kinesio Taping (KT) on pain, foot functionality, and plantar fascia thickness in patients with plantar fasciitis.
A total of 48 patients with chronic plantar fasciitis will be included in this prospective, randomized controlled trial and randomly allocated into two groups: the ESWT group and the ESWT + Kinesio Taping group.
Primary outcome measures include pain severity assessed via the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for morning and general pain, foot functionality evaluated using the Foot Function Index (FFI), and plantar fascia thickness measured via ultrasonography. Evaluations will be conducted at baseline, immediately post-treatment, and at the 3-month follow-up.
This is a prospective, randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) alone versus a combination of ESWT and Kinesio Taping (KT) in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis.
Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:
ESWT Group: Patients will receive 3 sessions of focused ESWT at 1-week intervals. Each session will deliver 1800 to 2000 focused shock waves at a frequency of 4-6 Hz and an energy flux density of 0.20-0.30 mJ/mm² targeting the point of maximum tenderness on the medial aspect of the calcaneal tuberosity.
ESWT + Kinesio Taping Group: Patients will receive the same ESWT protocol combined with Kinesio Taping. Taping will be applied twice (once a week for 2 weeks) using a standard 5 cm kinesiology tape. Four strips will be applied with 25% tension from the calcaneus toward the metatarsal heads, and an additional I-band with 50% tension will be applied across the transverse arch. Tapes will remain in place for 5 days per application.
Clinical and ultrasonographic evaluations will be performed at baseline, immediately after the treatment course, and at the 3-month follow-up. Parameters will include pain assessment via the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for morning and general pain, foot functionality via the Foot Function Index (FFI), and morphological measurement of plantar fascia thickness using ultrasonography.
267 studies on the registry are indexed under Fasciitis, Plantar; 70 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 48 is below the median of 56 across 233 interventional studies indexed under Fasciitis, Plantar.
Browse Fasciitis, Plantar studies →Ankara City Hospital Bilkent is the lead sponsor of 425 studies on the registry; 105 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Age between 18 and 65 years
Chronic heel pain for at least 3 months
Localized pain and tenderness on palpation at the medial aspect of the calcaneal tuberosity with the ankle in full dorsiflexion
Pain intensity of 50 mm or greater on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) during the first step in the morning
Ultrasonographic findings typical of plantar fasciitis (proximal plantar fascia thickness greater than 4 mm with alterations in the fibrillar pattern)
Willingness to participate in the study and provide written informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
Presence of any skin lesions or integrity disruption in the heel region
History of inflammatory or rheumatic arthritis
History of fracture, trauma, or surgery in the heel region
Presence of systemic infection or malignancy
Presence of a cardiac pacemaker
Local injection into the heel region within the last 6 months, or use of topical or oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) within the last 2 weeks
Unwillingness to participate in the study
Patients will receive 3 sessions of focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) at 1-week intervals
Device: Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT)
Patients will receive focused ESWT combined with Kinesio Taping applied twice (once a week for 2 weeks).
Other: Kinesio Taping · Device: Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT)
Kinesiology tape applied twice (once a week for 2 weeks) with mechanical correction and tension
Patients will receive 3 sessions of focused ESWT at 1-week intervals (1800 to 2000 impulses per session at 0.20-0.30 mJ/mm²
Change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Score for Pain
Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-treatment, and at 3-month follow-up
Change in Foot Function Index (FFI) Score
Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-treatment, and at 3-month follow-up
Change in Plantar Fascia Thickness Measured by Ultrasonography
Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-treatment, and at 3-month follow-up
Plan to share: Yes — De-identified participant data will be shared upon reasonable request directed to the corresponding author
Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap, Icf
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Ankara City Hospital Bilkent