Published Paper Details:

Background: Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain that affects daily function and mobility, especially in females engaged in prolonged standing and walking. It involves inflammation of the plantar fascia -- a thick connective tissue that supports the arch of the foot. Conservative physiotherapy techniques such as Myofascial Release (MFR) and Stretching Exercises are frequently used to manage pain and restore function, but their comparative effectiveness remains unclear. Objective: To compare the effectiveness of Myofascial Release and Stretching Exercises on pain reduction and foot function improvement in females with plantar fasciitis in a tertiary health care hospital. Methodology: A comparative study was conducted with 54 female participants (aged 25-50 years) who were clinically diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups of 27 each: Group A received Myofascial Release (MFR) and Group B received Stretching Exercises. Both groups also received a 5-minute therapeutic ultrasound prior to treatment. The interventions were performed over a 2-week period, and outcomes were assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain and the Foot Function Index (FFI) for function. Data were analyzed using paired and unpaired t-tests. Results: Both interventions significantly reduced pain and improved foot function within groups (p < 0.05). However, Myofascial Release showed a greater reduction in VAS scores and an improvement in FFI scores compared to Stretching Exercises. Conclusion: Myofascial Release and Stretching Exercises are both effective in reducing pain and improving foot function in females with plantar fasciitis, but Myofascial Release demonstrated superior results. Hence, MFR can be considered an effective non-invasive treatment option for managing plantar fasciitis in clinical settings. However, the present study concludes that Myofascial Release is more effective than stretching in a 2-week intervention.