Results of rest, soft sole slippers, contrast bath and plantar stretches physiotherapy in case of plantar fasciitis

Abstract

Almost 10 lakh patients are affected by plantar fasciitis (PF), which is the commonest cause of chronic heel pain. This condition is often managed conservatively, and many rehabilitation protocols, some with the aid of orthoses, have been adopted, with good-to-excellent clinical results. Although most cases of chronic PF can be successfully managed with a conservative approach, alternative treatments, including high-energy shock wave therapy and corticosteroid injections, are commonly accepted as second-line treatment when traditional conservative therapy fails.The literature suggests that, initially, traditional conservative treatments consisting of rest, oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, foot orthotics, and stretching exercises can be tried for several weeks. In patients with chronic recalcitrant PF, extracorporeal shock wave therapy or corticosteroid injection can be considered. Surgery (Minimally invasive techniques) should be considered only after failure of the conservative treatments. Objectives: To study the effectiveness of Rest, exercises (Plantar fascia stretching technique), soft sole slippers and contrast bath with in patients with plantar fasciitis in fresh as well as recurrent cases. Materials and Methods: In the prospective study totally 30 subjects was taken, between the age group of 20 to 70 years in our Patients department Orthopedics at Tertiary care Hospital Surat with short follow-up of 2 weeks. Results: On comparing the Pre and post -test mean values of group nova’s score and foot functional index shows significant reduction in posttest mean in both the group. No patient in our study was non compliant to conservative treatment in 2 weeks follow-up.Conclusions: The Present study concluded that 2-weeks treatment program performed on subjects with plantar fasciitis demonstrated that both contrast bath and plantar fascia stretching exercises combined with rest & soft sole slippers were effective in reducing pain intensity and improving functional activities.