TUESDAY, Jan. 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) — For patients with chronic plantar fasciitis, extracorporeal shock wave therapy combined with local vibration (ESWT-LV) is effective compared with ESWT alone, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.

HyoJeong On and JongEun Yim, D.Sc., from the Graduate School of Sahmyook University in Seoul, South Korea, conducted a trial involving 34 patients (mean age, 37.5 years) with chronic plantar fasciitis who were randomly assigned to treatment with ESWT-LV or with ESWT alone. In each group, participants underwent two treatment sessions weekly for five weeks.

The researchers found that in both groups, there were significant improvements in the thickness of the plantar fascia, numerical rating scale for pain, and Foot Function Index values. Significantly greater decreases were seen in the thickness of the plantar fascia and pain in the ESWT-LV versus the ESWT-alone group. Foot Function Index values did not differ significantly between the groups.

“Based on these results, LV can be considered an effective adjunct to ESWT for plantar fasciitis,” the authors write. “Further studies are necessary to determine the best parameters for LV combined with ESWT treatment in muscular skeletal disorders, in order to establish a treatment protocol.”

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