Abstract
Plantar fasciitis (PF) is one of the most common causes of heel and foot pain. Monophasic pulsed current (MPC) is an electrical stimulation used to accelerate the healing processes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of MPC and MPC combined with plantar fascia stretching exercises (SE) on heel pain and plantar fascia thickness in treatment of PF and see if there is any relationship between heel pain and plantar fascia thickness after intervention. Forty-four participants diagnosed with PF were randomly assigned to two group; MPC group or MPC combined with plantar fascia SE. Plantar fascia thickness was measured with musculoskeletal ultrasound. Although no statistical differences between the two groups were found, heel pain and the plantar fascia thickness significantly decreased in both groups after the intervention (p < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between changes in heel pain and plantar fascia thickness after 4 weeks of treatment. Our results indicated that MPC can reduce heel pain and plantar fascia thickness caused by PF. However, MPC combined with plantar fascia SE is not superior to MCP only in terms of reduction in heel pain and plantar fascia thickening.
Highlights
Plantar fasciitis (PF) is one of the most common causes of heel and foot pain and it was first described in 1812 [1,2]
The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Monophasic pulsed current (MPC) and MPC combined with plantar fascia stretching exercises (SE) on the heel pain and plantar fascia thickness on patients diagnosed with PF
The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effect of MPC and MPC combined with plantar fascia SE on heel pain and plantar fascia thickness in a treatment of PF
Summary
Plantar fasciitis (PF) is one of the most common causes of heel and foot pain and it was first described in 1812 [1,2]. More than one million visit the physician or foot specialists for pain management per year and the annual cost of this treatment is estimated 284 million US dollars [2,4]. Plantar fascia or plantar aponeurosis is a thick and strong fibrous connective tissue extending from the medial tuberosity of the calcaneus and into three bands to attach into the bases of proximal phalanges or at the metatarsophalangeal joints to the medial longitudinal arch of the foot [5,6]. Extrinsic potential predisposing factors that may make someone susceptible to the development of PF include high intensity sport activities or training that require repetitive plantar flexion and extension of the metatarsophalangeal, and that mechanical overload and high tensile load that develop micro-tears of the plantar fascia, leading chronic inflammatory responses followed by degeneration [7].
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