Recently, physiotherapists in Denmark and Australia collaborated on a randomised controlled trial to examine different ways of prescribing the dose of this exercise therapy.
70 people with plantar fasciopathy performed a repeated heel raise exercise in standing for 12 weeks. Half the participants were self-dosed (i.e., they performed as many sets as possible with as heavy a load as possible, but no heavier than 8 repetition maximum).
The exercise regimen for the other participants was pre-determined (i.e., it followed a standardised progressive protocol).
Self-dosed and pre-determined heavy-slow resistance exercise programs had similar effects on plantar fasciopathy pain and other outcomes over 12 weeks.
Advising people with plantar fasciopathy to self-dose their slow-heavy resistance training regimen did not substantially increase the achieved dose compared with a pre-determined regimen.
> From: Riel et al., J Physiother 65 (2019) 144-151 (Epub ahead of print). All rights reserved to Australian Physiotherapy Association. Click here for the online summary.
Want to read deeper into this topic? Have a look at the free full text version of this article published in Journal of Physiotherapy!
