Abstract:

Aim: It was aimed to investigate the effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) intervention in addition to exercise therapy on pain and functionality in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. Methods: A total of 57 participants aged 18-65 years, who were clinically diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and had complaints for more than 6 months, were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups as ESWT (n=29) and control (n=28). The participants in both groups were given exercises for plantar fasciitis and ESWT was applied to the ESWT+exercise group once a week for a total of 3 sessions. Pain status of the patients was evaluated with Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and functional status was evaluated with Foot Function Index (FFI). Results: In the evaluations, a significant improvement was found in VAS resting and activity values, AFI pain, disability and activity limitation values in the 4th and 8th week follow-ups in the ESWT+exercise group and the patients who received only exercise therapy (p<0.05). When the two groups were compared, the improvement in the ESWT+exercise group was statistically significant in all subgroups of both VAS and AFI compared to the exercise group in both the 4th and 8th week evaluations (p<0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, ESWT added to exercise intervention in the treatment of plantar fasciitis is an effective and safe treatment method. ESWT treatment in addition to exercise therapy can reduce pain and improve functionality in patients with plantar fasciitis.

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