Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis in Recreational Athletes

Abstract

Plantar fasciitis (PF) commonly causes inferior heel pain and occurs in up to 10% of the US population. Treatment protocols in most studies include the use of ice therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and stretching and strengthening protocols. The aim of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of 2 different therapeutic approaches on the treatment of PF in recreational athletes using the Pain and Disability Scale for the evaluation. A total of 38 participants with PF were randomly allocated to 2 different groups of 19 male participants in each group. Group 1 was treated with ice, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, and a stretching and a strengthening program. Group 2 received the same therapeutic procedures as group 1, reinforced by acupuncture treatment. The primary outcomes, nominated a priori, were pain description and mobility-function at 1 and 2 months. Outcomes were measured with the pain scale for PF. The mean total score of the acupuncture group at the third measurement was statistically minor compared with the mean total score of the first group. Acupuncture should be considered as a major therapeutic instrument for the decrease of heel pain, combined with traditional medical approaches.

How effective is acupuncture for reducing pain due to plantar fasciitis?

“…Two studies (Kumnerddee et al (9) and Karagounis et al (10) ) had quality scores of 66.7% and were considered to be of fair quality. The fi nal study by Ebrahim et al (11) had a quality score of 44.4% and was considered to be of poor quality.…”

“…After 4-8 weeks of treatment using acupuncture, all four studies showed signifi cant improvement in pain among patients with plantar fasciitis. (8)(9)(10)(11) Zhang et al's study evaluated pain control over a longer period (of up to six months) and showed that the pain-relieving effects of acupuncture were not greater than standard therapy in the longer term.…”

“…(9,11) Kumnerddee et al noted that no manual manipulation of the needle was done (9) while Ebrahim et al did not state whether manual manipulation was performed. (11) The other two studies had used dry needling, (8,10) which is standard acupuncture with sterile needles without any electrical current. Both of these studies involved manual manipulation of the needles to obtain the 'Deqi' sensation, which is characterised as a dull ache, numbness or heaviness.…”

Spinal and Peripheral Dry Needling Versus Peripheral Dry Needling Alone Among Individuals With a History of Lateral Ankle Sprain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…The efficacy of dry needling in the treatment of plantar fasciitis demonstrated a beneficial effect when paired with traditional therapeutic procedures, with two studies authors' reporting statistically significant reduction in plantar heel pain. 25,26 With regard to chronic ankle instability, a randomized clinical trial compared the effects of combined MTrP dry needling of the fibularis muscle and therapeutic exercises to therapeutic exercises alone for pain and function in subjects with chronic ankle instability. 5 The authors concluded that subjects who received the combined therapy approach demonstrated superior outcomes in pain and function one month after ceasing treatment.…”

Sporcularda plantar fasya rüptürleri

“…[1,[9][10][11][12][13][14] Kortikosteroid enjeksiyonları PF rüptürlerinde sorumlu tutulan bir faktör olsa da, enjeksiyon sonrası rüptür oranının düşük olduğu söylenebilir. Kim ve ark., kortikosterid enjeksiyonu ile tedavi edilmiş 120 plantar fasiitis hastasını geriye dönük olarak değerlendirdikleri çalışmalarında, sadece üç olguda rüptür rapor etmişlerdir.…”