SHOCKWAVE TREATMENT HAS RECENTLY BEEN TRIED TO ALLEVIATE A COMMON CAUSE OF HEEL PAIN, AND IN MANY CASES IT APPEARS TO BE HELPFUL WITH GOOD LONG-TERM RESULTS, TAIWANESE RESEARCHERS REPORT ACCORDING TO REUTERS.
PLANTAR FASCIITIS, AS THE CONDITION IS CALLED, INVOLVES INFLAMMATION OF THE CONNECTIVE TISSUES LINKING THE MUSCLES OF THE SOLE OF THE FOOT, AND IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO TREAT.
DR. CHING-JEN WANG TOLD REUTERS HEALTH THAT HIS GROUP FOUND THAT SHOCKWAVE THERAPY WAS MORE EFFECTIVE AND RESULTED IN A LOWER RECURRENCE RATE THAN TRADITIONAL TREATMENT FOR PLANTAR FASCIITIS OVER LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP.
FOCUSED SHOCKWAVES, GENERATED BY A SPECIAL MACHINE, IS AN ESTABLISHED METHOD OF BREAKING UP KIDNEY STONES. DR. WANG AND COLLEAGUES AT CHANG GUNG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AT KAOHSIUNG USED SUCH A DEVICE IN A STUDY OF 149 PATIENTS (168 HEELS) WITH CHRONIC PLANTAR FASCIITIS.
AS REPORTED IN THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE, HALF THE PATIENTS WERE GIVEN 1500 SHOCKWAVE IMPULSES TO THE AFFECTED HEEL, UNDER LOCAL ANESTHESIA, DURING A SINGLE SESSION. THE OTHER HALF RECEIVED A VARIETY OF TREATMENTS INCLUDING STANDARD PAINKILLERS, ORTHOTIC APPLIANCES, PHYSICAL THERAPY AND EXERCISE.
AT FOLLOW-UP RANGING FROM ABOUT 3 TO 6 YEARS, PATIENTS IN THE SHOCKWAVE GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER SCORES ON PAIN AND FUNCTION.
ALMOST 83 PERCENT IN THE SHOCKWAVE GROUP ACHIEVED EXCELLENT OR GOOD RESULTS COMPARED WITH 55 PERCENT OF PATIENTS IN THE COMPARISON GROUP. IN ADDITION, THE RECURRENCE RATE WAS 11 PERCENT IN THE SHOCKWAVE GROUP VERSUS 55 PERCENT IN THE OTHER GROUP, A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE.
IN THEIR PAPER, THE RESEARCHERS SAY THEY DON'T KNOW WHY SHOCKWAVE THERAPY WORKS. THEY SAY IT MAY BE THAT IT HYPERSTIMULATES THE NERVES, RAISING THE THRESHOLD OF PAIN. OR POSSIBLY THE SHOCKWAVES ENHANCE BLOOD-FLOW TO TENDONS, WHICH SPEEDS UP THE REPAIR PROCESS.
WHATEVER THE MECHANISM, WANG'S GROUP CONCLUDES THAT THIS APPROACH IS "A NEW THERAPEUTIC MODALITY THAT CAN SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY TREAT PATIENTS WITH PLANTAR FASCIITIS."