TY - JOUR T1 - SportsMedUpdate JF - British Journal of Sports Medicine JO - Br J Sports Med SP - 1014 LP - 1015 VL - 42 IS - 12 AU - Martin P Schwellnus Y1 - 2008/12/01 UR - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/42/12/1014.abstract N2 - ▸ Liang H-W, Wang T-G, Chen W-S, Hou S-M. Clin Orthop Rel Res 2007;460:219–25.Background:Chronic plantar fasciitis is associated with a thicker plantar fascia thickness — treatment of this condition may be associated with a reduced thickness and reduced pain.Research question/s:Does extracorporeal shock wave therapy decrease plantar fascia thickness, and is this associated with reduced pain?Methodology:Subjects: 53 patients with plantar fasciitis (78 symptomatic feet).Experimental procedure: Subjects were assessed and then randomly assigned treatment with either lower-dose (LowD = 25, 0.12 mJ/mm2) or higher-dose (HighD = 28, 0.56 mJ/mm2) extracorporeal shock wave therapy (2000 shock waves, three consecutive sessions, applied at weekly intervals using no local anaesthetic). Pain, foot function, and the Short Form-36 Health Survey were assessed before and after 3 and 6 months. Ultrasonographic measurement of plantar fascia thickness was also measured before and after 3 and 6 months.Measures of outcome: Pain (VAS), foot function (Foot Function Index), SF-36 score, plantar fascial thickness.Main finding/s: Similar improvements in pain and function were observed in the HighD and the LowD groups.Plantar fascia thickness: there was less pain after treatment in the patients with thinner plantar fascia.Conclusion/s:Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (low and high-dose) is associated with reduction in pain and improved … ER -