Management of heel pain syndrome with acetic acid iontophoresis

This study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of acetic acid iontophoresis in the treatment of heel pain. Thirty-five patients with chronic heel pain were treated with acetic acid iontophoresis over a 4-year period. Ninety-four percent of patients had complete or substantial relief of heel pain after an average of 5.7 sessions of acetic acid iontophoresis over an average period of 2.8 weeks. Heel pain levels were rated from 0 to 10, with 10 representing the most severe pain. Heel pain prior to iontophoresis treatment received an average rating of 7.5; by the end of therapy, the average rating had decreased to 1.8. At an average follow-up time of 27 months, heel pain levels averaged 0.64, indicating continued reduction in heel pain. Ninety-four percent of participants said that they would recommend acetic acid iontophoresis to someone with similar heel pain.