Treatment Modalities of Planter Fasciitis: A Two Years’ Experience

Abstract

Back-ground: Plantar fasciitis causes soreness or tenderness of the sole of the foot under the heel, which sometimes extends into the medial arch. Objective: A study was conducted to ascertain which treatment modality provides the best results for heel pain patients. Method: The therapies included orthoses, stretching, ultrasonic therapy and local infiltration with a combination of a local anaesthetic and corticosteroid injection. These were included based on the availability of the modality of treatment at a peripheral hospital in Nasik, Maharashtra. Result: Orthoses, regardless of type, can improve pain levels. Plantar stretching shows limited short-term benefit but cannot reflect significant long-term improvement. Ultrasonic therapy shows limited benefits with some patients showing significant improvement and others showing none. Local infiltration with a combination of a local anaesthetic (Lignocaine) and steroid injection (Kenocort) showed significant improvement in the short term. Conclusion: Planter fasciitis is generally managed conservatively with good results. Steroid therapy, when coupled with planter stretching and ultrasonic therapy, can provide good pain relief.

Keywords: Heel pain, steroid injection, ultrasonic therapy, local infiltration, orthoses

Cite this Article Gurmeet Singh Sarla. Treatment Modalities of Planter Fasciitis: A Two Years’ Experience. Research & Reviews: Journal of Surgery. 2018; 7(3): 21–25p.