Thinking away heel pain: new study tests brain training for plantar fasciitis
NCT ID NCT07571122
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether cognitive training (brain exercises) can reduce pain and improve balance in people with plantar fasciitis, a common cause of heel pain. Eighty adults will be split into two groups: one doing cognitive training plus stretching, the other doing only stretching and strengthening. Researchers will measure pain, foot function, and balance to see if adding brain training makes a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- cognitive training exercises
- What this could lead to
- If this works, it could offer a new, non-drug way to ease pain and improve foot function for people with plantar fasciitis.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 80 participants. The cognitive training may not prove more effective than standard exercises, and results may not apply to everyone.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2026
- Expected to finish
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May 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 60 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 to 60 years. Clinically diagnosed with plantar fasciitis by a physician or physiotherapist. Experiencing heel pain for at least 4 weeks. Ability to stand and perform basic functional and balance tests. Willingness to participate and provide informed consent. Not currently receiving other structured physical therapy or cognitive training programs during the study period. Exclusion Criteria: * History of lower limb surgery or fractures affecting the foot or ankle. Presence of neurological disorders affecting balance or motor control (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease). Systemic inflammatory or rheumatologic conditions (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis). Severe musculoskeletal deformities of the lower limb or foot. Recent corticosteroid injection in the heel region within the last 3 months. Current participation in other structured rehabilitation or exercise programs. Pregnancy (if applicable due to balance and biomechanical changes). Inability to understand or follow instructions related to the intervention.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Outpatient clinics of the Faculty of Physical Therapy, Beni Suef University
RECRUITINGCairo, Egypt
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