The study used 101 patients diagnosed with plantar heel pain. Some were given magnetic insoles with active bipolar magnets, and some were given insoles with non-magnetic strips that were similar to the magnets. Neither the patients nor the researchers knew which group got which.
The patients wore these insoles at least four hours a day for eight weeks. The patients tracked their pain level from 1 to 10 each day. In both groups, the pain level dropped over time by exactly the same amount. Plantar fasciitis often gets better with reduced activity.
This study showed that the magnetic insoles had no independent effect in reducing pain - a patient wearing regular insoles would likely heal from heel pain just as fast.
Normal treatment for plantar fasciitis includes reduced activity, taping, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Custom orthotics can help reduce pain and correct gait problems that contribute to developing plantar fasciitis.
Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Pain
Facts, stretches, exercises for relief.
