Comparison between extracorporeal shock wave therapy and local corticosteroid injection in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis with a calcaneal spur: A randomized controlled study

Abstract

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and local corticosteroid injection (LCI) in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis with a calcaneal spur. Materials and Methods: A total of 56 patients with chronic plantar fasciitis were included in this randomized controlled study. The presence of a calcaneal spur was shown radiologically in all patients. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: the first group were treated by three sessions of ESWT at weekly intervals. Second group were treated by ultrasound guided corticosteroid injection. The patients were evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS)-pain and Foot Function Index (FFI). Evaluation was done at pretreatment, at 4 and 12 week. Results: There were significant improvements in VAS and FFI scores at 4 and 12 weeks compared with pretreatment scores in both groups (all p <0.05). The reduction in VAS and FFI Pain scores in LCI group was significantly greater than in ESWT group (p<0.05). In both groups, there were no significant differences in VAS and FFI scores at 12 weeks compared with 4th week scores. Conclusion: ESWT and LCI are effective treatments for chronic plantar fasciitis with a calcaneal spur. LCI seems to be more effective for improving pain compared to ESWT.