Vol. 9, Issue - 1, Part B (2025)

Background: Plantar callosities are a common condition causing pain and discomfort, often limiting mobility and quality of life. Amal-i-Kaiyy (Traditional Cautery), an ancient treatment method in Unani system of Medicine, is used in managing this condition.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Traditional Cautery which was conducted at the Ayurveda National Hospital-Borella, Sri Lanka.

Materials and Methods: The study was conducted as an observational study involving 50 participants diagnosed with plantar callosities. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee, Faculty of Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo (ERC UG 24/287) prior to the commencement. Participants underwent Traditional Cautery were followed up after 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Data were collected using the Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI) and the EQ-5D-5L Descriptive System to assess functional outcomes and quality of life pre- and post-treatment. Values were depicted as mean with standard error of mean.

Results: After treatment, participants showed significant improvements in mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression domains, with "no problem" responses increasing across all categories. The mean FADI score improved from 43.02 to 83.66 after the treatment. The mean EQ-5D-5L score increased from 0.1572 to 0.7064, indicating a significant enhancement in quality of life. Complaints such as mild pain (22%) and tenderness (18%) were reported at the second-week follow-up but decreased in severity in subsequent visits.

Conclusion: Traditional Cautery significantly improved physical function and quality of life in patients with plantar callosities, with minimal and temporary side effects. These findings support the practice of Traditional Cautery as an effective treatment modality for plantar callosities. Further research with larger cohorts and long-term follow-up is recommended to confirm these findings.