A critical appraisal of "A single-blinded randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of manipulation and mobilization in the treatment of Morton's neuroma"

A research group from Durban University of Technology in Durban, South Africa conducted a study on patients with Morton's neuroma to analyze the efficacy of manipulation and mobilization techniques on the pain levels of the patients. 40 subjects with Morton's neuroma were divided in two groups. The control group received foot and ankle manipulation and mobilization while the placebo group received de-tuned ultrasound. Each subject did not know which group they were in, and each group received their respective treatments twice a week for three weeks, and then their pain levels were re-evaluated based on questionnaires and pain pressure tolerance. This paper analyzes the research performed and discusses the pros and cons through the introduction, materials and methods, results, and discussion. It then evaluates the research study as a whole and discusses changes that could be made to improve the research study.