Foot pain, wallet gain
It’s the foot version of tennis elbow. Plantar fasciitis is a common foot problem that makes standing or walking difficult.
The painful culprit is an inflamed ligament on the bottom of the foot attached to the heel bone. Constant stretching and pulling of this ligament irritates the heel and may cause bone spurs (commonly called heel spurs). About 10% of people are afflicted with plantar fasciitis, which affects women and men equally. “It’s a very debilitating condition,” says Dr. Preston Wiley, who has experienced it himself. “It is especially bad for people who work on their feet all day, because the more you are on your feet, the more painful the condition can become.“
Many factors can contribute to the condition, including too much activity, lack of strength in the foot and ankle, and an improper shoe fit. Because the majority of people who develop plantar fasciitis are over 30, Dr. Wiley and other researchers hypothesize that degenerative changes within the tendons and ligaments may contribute to the condition.
Dr. Wiley and co-investigators Dr. Cam Donaldson, a Heritage researcher (Department of Community Health Sciences), and Dr. Rita Aggarwala (Department of Mathematics and Statistics), received funding last March to conduct a two-year research project comparing three common treatments for plantar fasciitis, to see which works best for patients and which is the most economical. “This type of problem is a big cost to the system,” Dr. Wiley comments. “If we have a treatment that works well for the majority of patients and is available at a low cost, then the implications on the healthcare system would be significant.”
Dr. Donaldson will help determine how much each treatment costs patients and the healthcare system. The health economist will take a comprehensive look at everything from the actual cost of the treatments to the amount of time a patient has to take off work to obtain them. “The healthcare system is interested in their effectiveness and what it costs to provide the service,” Dr. Wiley explains. “The patient is more interested in quality-of-life issues, particularly how the treatment affects them and impacts their ability to work.” The study will evaluate both of these concerns.
The research team will recruit about 100 people with plantar fasciitis who have not previously received treatment. To prevent bias, the treatments are not identified here, but they do not involve either pills or injections. They are standard treatments used by doctors, podiatrists, and other healthcare workers, Dr. Wiley says. Each patient will be tested for improvement at regular intervals over a 12-month period.
Most people with plantar fasciitis see an improvement in their condition after three to six months of treatment. Surgery is not usually required.
Dr. Preston Wiley receives support for his study from the Health Research Fund administered for Alberta Health and Wellness by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. Dr. Wiley receives additional support from Colman Prosthetics and Orthotics Ltd. and the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre.
It’s the foot version of tennis elbow. Plantar fasciitis is a common foot problem that makes standing or walking difficult.The painful culprit is an inflamed ligament on the bottom of the foot attached to the heel bone. Constant stretching and pulling of this ligament irritates the heel and may cause bone spurs (commonly called heel spurs). About 10% of people are afflicted with plantar fasciitis, which affects women and men equally. “It’s a very debilitating condition,” says Dr. Preston Wiley, who has experienced it himself. “It is especially bad for people who work on their feet all day, because the more you are on your feet, the more painful the condition can become.“
Many factors can contribute to the condition, including too much activity, lack of strength in the foot and ankle, and an improper shoe fit. Because the majority of people who develop plantar fasciitis are over 30, Dr. Wiley and other researchers hypothesize that degenerative changes within the tendons and ligaments may contribute to the condition.
Dr. Wiley and co-investigators Dr. Cam Donaldson, a Heritage researcher (Department of Community Health Sciences), and Dr. Rita Aggarwala (Department of Mathematics and Statistics), received funding last March to conduct a two-year research project comparing three common treatments for plantar fasciitis, to see which works best for patients and which is the most economical. “This type of problem is a big cost to the system,” Dr. Wiley comments. “If we have a treatment that works well for the majority of patients and is available at a low cost, then the implications on the healthcare system would be significant.”
Dr. Donaldson will help determine how much each treatment costs patients and the healthcare system. The health economist will take a comprehensive look at everything from the actual cost of the treatments to the amount of time a patient has to take off work to obtain them. “The healthcare system is interested in their effectiveness and what it costs to provide the service,” Dr. Wiley explains. “The patient is more interested in quality-of-life issues, particularly how the treatment affects them and impacts their ability to work.” The study will evaluate both of these concerns.
The research team will recruit about 100 people with plantar fasciitis who have not previously received treatment. To prevent bias, the treatments are not identified here, but they do not involve either pills or injections. They are standard treatments used by doctors, podiatrists, and other healthcare workers, Dr. Wiley says. Each patient will be tested for improvement at regular intervals over a 12-month period.
Most people with plantar fasciitis see an improvement in their condition after three to six months of treatment. Surgery is not usually required.
Dr. Preston Wiley receives support for his study from the Health Research Fund administered for Alberta Health and Wellness by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. Dr. Wiley receives additional support from Colman Prosthetics and Orthotics Ltd. and the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre.