Balance Impairment, Presence of Fear of Fall and Regional Functional Status in Individuals with Unilateral Plantar Fasciitis

Abstract

Introduction: Plantar fasciitis occurs in working adults between 20 and 65. Individuals with plantar fasciitis usually adopt
an antalgic gait pattern whereby they decrease the time of heel contact with the ground by increasing support on the
lateral and anterior part of the foot and change joint position sense, causing body oscillations and can impair balance.
The study’s objective is to compare the effect of balance impairment on regional function and fear of falls in individuals
with unilateral plantar fasciitis and Age-matched healthy individuals.
Methods: A case-control study was conducted in which, after receiving written informed consent, 37 participants with
unilateral Plantar fasciitis based on the inclusion criteria and 37 age-matched healthy subjects were recruited from Sri
Ramachandra physiotherapy OPD for the study.
Results: The COFP displacement in the anterioposterior and Mediolateral direction is compared, and the findings indi
cate a significant difference (p<0.0001). The fear of fall status evaluated using FES-I demonstrated greater value than
the control group, and the findings indicate a significant difference (p<0.0001).
Conclusion: The presence of balance impairment is very evident. The study enables individuals with plantar fasciitis
to know more about the effect of balance impairment on regional function. Future studies can incorporate balance
training for the participants.