An interventional study of Basline treatment+Subtalar joint mobilization and Basline treatment+Subtalar joint mobilization +Foot core strengthening in Chronic Plantar Heel Pain, sponsored by University of Management and Technology Lahore. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 40 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-05.
Sponsored by University of Management and Technology Lahore · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Chronic plantar heel pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders affecting the foot and ankle region. It is frequently associated with plantar fasciitis and is characterized by pain at the medial calcaneal tubercle, especially during the first steps in the morning or after prolonged periods of rest. Chronic plantar heel pain negatively affects gait mechanics, balance, foot posture, functional activities. The condition is prevalent among physically active individuals, overweight adults, and people with prolonged standing occupations. Despite the availability of several conservative treatment approaches, optimal management remains controversial. Subtalar joint mobilization is commonly used in physiotherapy practice to improve joint biomechanics, restore mobility reduce pain, and enhance functional movement patterns. Similarly, foot core strengthening exercises aim to activate intrinsic foot muscles, improve medial longitudinal arch stability, and enhance dynamic balance and postural control. Recent evidence suggests that both interventions may independently improve symptoms associated with plantar heel pain; however, limited literature is available regarding their combined effectiveness.
The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of subtalar joint mobilization with and without foot core strengthening on pain, dynamic balance, foot posture and disability in patients with chronic plantar heel pain.
This study will be a randomized clinical trial conducted on individuals diagnosed with chronic plantar heel pain. Participants will be randomly allocated into two groups. Group A will receive subtalar joint mobilization +Baseline treatment, while Group B will receive subtalar joint mobilization combined with foot core strengthening exercises+baselinetreatment. Outcome measures will include Numeric Pain Scale (NPRS) for pain, Foot Function Index (FFI) for functional disability, Y-Balance Test or Star Excursion Balance Test for dynamic balance, Foot Posture Index-6 (FPI-6) for foot posture assessment.
The intervention protocol will be conducted over a specified treatment duration with pre- and post-treatment assessments. Data will be analysed using SPSS software. The findings of this study may provide evidence regarding a more effective rehabilitation strategy for patients with chronic plantar heel pain and may help physiotherapists improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes.
This study will investigate the effects of subtalar joint mobilization, with and without foot core strengthening, on pain, dynamic balance, foot posture, and disability in patients with chronic plantar heel pain. Participants will be divided into three groups. All groups will receive the baseline treatment, while Group A will additionally receive subtalar joint mobilization and Group B will receive subtalar joint mobilization combined with foot core strengthening exercises. The intervention will be delivered three times per week for four weeks, for a total of 12 supervised sessions. Outcomes will be assessed before and after the intervention using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Y Balance Test, Foot Function Index (FFI), and Foot Posture Index-6 (FPI-6).
Arm Description: baseline treatment only Participants will receive baseline treatment consisting of pulsed ultrasound (50% duty cycle, 1 MHz, 1.5 W/cm² for 5 minutes), plantar fascia-specific stretching, gastrocnemius stretching, and soleus stretching. Stretching will be performed for three sets of three repetitions, with each stretch held for 30 seconds. Participants will also be instructed to perform the stretching exercises at home twice daily. Treatment will be provided three times per week for four weeks.
Experimental Group A-Basline treatment+Subtalar joint mobilization Participants will receive the same baseline treatment as the control group, along with subtalar joint mobilization. Mobilization will be performed with the participant in a side-lying position. The talus will be stabilized while the calcaneus is grasped to apply lateral and medial gliding techniques to facilitate calcaneal eversion and inversion, respectively. Each glide will be applied for 1.5 minutes, for a total mobilization time of 3 minutes per session. Treatment will be delivered three times per week for four weeks.
Experimental Group B-Basline treatment+Subtalar joint mobilization +Foot core strengthening Participants will receive the same baseline treatment and subtalar joint mobilization as Group A, in addition to a progressive foot core strengthening program. Exercises will include foot doming, toe spreading, towel curls, double-leg heel raises, single-leg heel raises, balance-board exercises, and foot relaxation. During sessions 1-6 (weeks 1-2), exercises will be performed at the initial prescribed repetitions and durations. During sessions 7-12 (weeks 3-4), repetitions and exercise duration will be progressed according to the study protocol. Treatment will be delivered three times per week for four weeks.
10,054 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain; 1,649 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 36 is below the median of 66 across 8,493 interventional studies indexed under Pain.
Browse Pain studies →University of Management and Technology Lahore is the lead sponsor of 39 studies on the registry; 20 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Male and female participants aged between 40 and 60 years. Clinically diagnosed with chronic plantar heel pain/plantar fasciitis. Duration of symptoms greater than 3 months. Pain experienced during the first few steps in the morning or after prolonged periods of rest.
Pain localized to the medial plantar aspect of the heel. NPRS score 4 to 6 during the first steps in the morning or during weight bearing activities.
Participants with Foot Function Index (FFI) score ≥30% Windlass test positive
Exclusion Criteria:
Previous foot or ankle surgery.History of fracture involving the foot, ankle, or lower limb within the previous 6 months.
injection in the affected foot within the last 3 months. Neurological disorders affecting balance or gait. Systemic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or gout.
Tarsal tunnel syndrome or other peripheral nerve entrapment disorders. Pregnancy. Diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy. Acute trauma to the foot or ankle. Participation in another physiotherapy treatment program for plantar heel pain during the study period.
Severe lower limb musculoskeletal disorders that may influence functional outcomes.
Bilateral planter heel pain
-
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.
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.
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.
Participants will receive the same baseline treatment as the control group, along with subtalar joint mobilization. Mobilization will be performed with the participant in a side-lying position. The talus will be stabilized while the calcaneus is grasped to apply lateral and medial gliding techniques to facilitate calcaneal eversion and inversion, respectively. Each glide will be applied for 1.5 minutes, for a total mobilization time of 3 minutes per session. Treatment will be delivered three times per week for four weeks
Other: Basline treatment+Subtalar joint mobilization
Participants will receive the same baseline treatment and subtalar joint mobilization as Group A, in addition to a progressive foot core strengthening program. Exercises will include foot doming, toe spreading, towel curls, double-leg heel raises, single-leg heel raises, balance-board exercises, and foot relaxation. During sessions 1-6 (weeks 1-2), exercises will be performed at the initial prescribed repetitions and durations. During sessions 7-12 (weeks 3-4), repetitions and exercise duration will be progressed according to the study protocol. Treatment will be delivered three times per week for four weeks.
Other: Basline treatment+Subtalar joint mobilization +Foot core strengthening
Participants will receive the same baseline treatment as the control group, along with subtalar joint mobilization. Mobilization will be performed with the participant in a side-lying position. The talus will be stabilized while the calcaneus is grasped to apply lateral and medial gliding techniques to facilitate calcaneal eversion and inversion, respectively. Each glide will be applied for 1.5 minutes, for a total mobilization time of 3 minutes per session. Treatment will be delivered three times per week for four weeks.
Participants will receive the same baseline treatment and subtalar joint mobilization as Group A, in addition to a progressive foot core strengthening program. Exercises will include foot doming, toe spreading, towel curls, double-leg heel raises, single-leg heel raises, balance-board exercises, and foot relaxation. During sessions 1-6 (weeks 1-2), exercises will be performed at the initial prescribed repetitions and durations. During sessions 7-12 (weeks 3-4), repetitions and exercise duration will be progressed according to the study protocol. Treatment will be delivered three times per week for four weeks.
NPRS
The Numeric pain rating scale NPRS is an 11-point scale ranging from 0 to 10 used to assess pain intensity, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst pain imaginable.
Time frame: BASELINE AND AFTER 4 WEEKS
FOOT FUNCTION INDEX
The Foot Function Index (FFI) is a standardized questionnaire used to assess the impact of foot pathology on pain, disability, and activity limitation. The questionnaire contains 23 items divided into three subscales: • Pain Subscale • Disability Subscale • Activity Limitation Subscale Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater disability and functional impairment
Time frame: BASELINE AND AFTER 4 WEEKS
FOOT POSTURE INDEX-6 (FPI-6)
The Foot Posture Index-6 is a clinical assessment tool used to quantify static foot posture. It evaluates six criteria: • Talar head palpation • Supra and infra malleolar curvature • Calcaneal frontal plane position • Talonavicular prominence • Medial longitudinal arch height • Forefoot abduction/adduction. Each item is scored from -2 to +2. Total scores range from -12 to +12. Interpretation: • Negative scores indicate supinated foot posture. • Positive scores indicate pronated foot posture. • Scores around zero indicate neutral posture.
Time frame: BASELINE AND AFTER 4 WEEKS
Y-BALANCE TEST (YBT)
The Y-Balance Test is a reliable measure of dynamic balance and neuromuscular control. It is a simplified version of the Star Excursion Balance Test. Participants maintain a single-leg stance while reaching in three directions: • Anterior • Posteromedial • Posterolateral Reach distances are recorded and normalized to limb length. Greater reach distances indicate better dynamic balance performance.
Time frame: BASELINE AND AFTER 4 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.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Oct 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2026, 2 months after the start.
Of 3,731 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Pain, half reached primary completion within 10 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 4 and three quarters within 23. This study's planned 2 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 3,830 studies reached it within 10 months; a quarter within 4 and three quarters within 23.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
University of Management and Technology Lahore