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The effect of topical wheatgrass cream on chronic plantar fasciitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

journal contribution
posted on 2006-03-01, 00:00 authored by M Young, Jill Cook, K Webster
Objectives: To investigate the efficacy of a topical wheatgrass cream for improving pain and function in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis.

Design
: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Setting
: Eighty participants with chronic plantar fasciitis were randomly assigned to a treatment group (wheatgrass cream) or a control group (placebo cream). All participants applied a cream twice daily for 6 weeks. Follow up was conducted at 6 and 12 weeks.

Main outcome measures
: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for daily first-step pain and the Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ) for overall foot function. Secondary measures of foot posture, calf muscle strength and range of ankle dorsiflexion were also assessed.

Results
: No significant differences were found between groups with respect to main outcomes of first-step pain or foot function at any time. Both groups improved significantly from baseline to 6 weeks, and these improvements were maintained at 12 weeks.

Conclusions
: The topical application of wheatgrass cream is no more effective than a placebo cream for the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis.

History

Journal

Complementary therapies in medicine

Volume

14

Issue

1

Pagination

3 - 9

Publisher

Churchill Livingstone

Location

Edinburgh, Scotland

ISSN

0965-2299

eISSN

1873-6963

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2005, Elsevier Ltd.

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