An interventional study of Active Release Technique (ART) and Dynamic Soft Tissue Mobilization in Plantar Fascitis, sponsored by University of Management and Technology Lahore. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 25 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-04.
Sponsored by University of Management and Technology Lahore · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain encountered in musculoskeletal and orthopedic physiotherapy practice. It is characterized by degenerative changes at the origin of the plantar fascia on the medial calcaneal tubercle, leading to pain, stiffness, and functional limitations during weight-bearing activities. Patients typically report sharp heel pain that is most severe during the first steps in the morning or after prolonged rest, which significantly affects gait and daily functional activities.Current evidence suggests that plantar fasciitis is not purely an inflammatory condition but rather a degenerative fasciopathy resulting from repetitive microtrauma, abnormal foot biomechanics, prolonged standing, obesity, and tightness of the gastrosoleus complex. These mechanical stressors lead to microtears, collagen degeneration, and thickening of the plantar fascia, ultimately resulting in chronic pain and disability.Objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of Active Release Technique and Dynamic Soft Tissue Mobilization on pain, function, and disability in patients with plantar fasciitis. All the subjects who will eligible for the criteria will randomly allocated in to Group A(ART) and Group B(DSTM).Taping will be our baseline treatment.. This study will be a randomized controlled trial conducted at Pro Care Physiotherapy Clinic, Ittefaq Hospital, and Iffat Anwar Medical Complex over a period of four months. A total of 62 participants will be recruited using probability convenient sampling and randomly allocated into two groups. Group A will receive Active Release Technique along with baseline taping, while Group B will receive Dynamic Soft Tissue Mobilization along with baseline taping. Both groups will receive three sessions per week for four weeks.Outcome measures will include the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and Foot Function Index (FFI) to assess pain and functional disability. Assessments will be taken at baseline, 2nd week, and 4th week. Data will be analyzed using SPSS version 24, and both intra-group and inter-group comparisons will be performed using appropriate statistical tests.
University of Management and Technology Lahore is the lead sponsor of 39 studies on the registry; 20 are open to participants now.
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Age 25 to 60 years. Presence of unilateral plantar fasciitis. Participants with positive Windlass test. Symptoms more than 6 weeks of duration diagnosed by orthopaedician. Reported pain with the first step out of the bed in the morning or with the first step after prolonged immobilization and presence of heel pain with prolonged standing on the medial calcaneal tubercle plantar aponeurosis confirmed by palpation. both male and female will be included. Pain intensity of ≥3 on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) or Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS).
Participants willing to provide and comply with the treatment protocol.
Exclusion Criteria:
Reported previous history of cancer, peripheral vascular diseases, lower extremity fractures Had a trauma or history of surgery to the foot or ankle. Diabetic neuropathy. People who have undergone therapy, rich plasma therapy in the past 3 months.
Severe foot deformities (e.g., severe pes planus or pes cavus) requiring specialized management.
Open wounds, skin infections, or allergies preventing the application of taping.
Presence of inflammatory or systemic diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, or Gout.
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.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Platelets
Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The patient will sit in a long-sitting position while the therapist assesses muscle and fascial tightness using their hands. The therapist applies specific pressure along the affected tissue from origin to insertion while the muscle is shortened. The patient is then instructed to lengthen the muscle by dorsiflexing the foot. Each session lasts approximately 10 minutes, three times a week for four weeks, along with baseline taping.
Other: Active Release Technique (ART)
The therapist will perform 10 minutes of deep, forceful soft tissue mobilization on tight and painful areas of the posterior calf muscles, applying pressure across the muscle fibers medially and laterally. The patient will also perform a passive straight leg raise combined with ankle dorsiflexion using a long belt to improve neural mobility.
Other: Dynamic Soft Tissue Mobilization
The patient will sit in a long-sitting position while the therapist assesses muscle and fascial tightness using their hands. The therapist applies specific pressure along the affected tissue from origin to insertion while the muscle is shortened. The patient is then instructed to lengthen the muscle by dorsiflexing the foot. Each session lasts approximately 10 minutes, three times a week for four weeks, along with baseline taping.
The therapist will perform 10 minutes of deep, forceful soft tissue mobilization on tight and painful areas of the posterior calf muscles, applying pressure across the muscle fibers medially and laterally. The patient will also perform a passive straight leg raise combined with ankle dorsiflexion using a long belt to improve neural mobility.
Pain by Numerical Rating Scale (NPRS)
Numeric Rating Scale (NPRS) is most frequently used instruments to measure pain. The 11-point numeric with 0 representing No pain, 1- 3 representing Mild Pain (nagging, annoying, interfering little with ADLs), 4-6 representing Moderate Pains (interferes significantly with ADLs), 7-10 representing Sever Pain (disabling, unable to perform ADLs).
Time frame: At baseline and after 6 weeks
Disability by Foot Function Index (FFI)
The Foot Function Index (FFI) is a widely used patient-reported outcome measure developed to assess the impact of foot pathology on pain, disability, and activity limitation.The questionnaire consists of 23 items divided into three subscales: Pain (9 items), Disability (9 items), and Activity Limitation (5 items). The questions assess foot pain severity and the extent to which foot problems affect daily functional activities such as walking, standing, climbing stairs, and participation in routine activities.
Time frame: At baseline and after 6 weeks
Joint Range of Motion by Goniometer
The patient's knee will be flexed to 30°, with the ankle in the anatomical position. The goniometer axis will be placed near the lateral ankle, with the stationary arm aligned along the fibula and the movable arm along the fifth metatarsal. The examiner will measure both passive and active ankle dorsiflexion using a goniometer. The normal range of ankle dorsiflexion is approximately 15°-20°.
Time frame: At baseline and after 6 weeks
Plan to share: Yes — The results data collected , de-identified individual participant data will be shared.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan, Informed consent form
Time frame: 6 months after the publication of the manuscript.
Access criteria: The data can be requested from the corresponding author.
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 ↗
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Management and Technology Lahore