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Plantar fasciitis management: A comparative study between plantar fascia stretching exercises versus local corticosteroid injection

Volume 7 | Issue 2 | May – August 2019 | Page: 17-21  | Prabhu Ethiraj, Sagar Venkataraman, Arun H.S, Abhijeet Salunkhe


Authors: Prabhu Ethiraj [1], Sagar Venkataraman [1] , Arun H.S [1], Abhijeet Salunkhe [1].

[1] Department of Orthopaedics, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College SDUAHER, Tamaka, Kolar, 563101 Karnataka INDIA

Address of Correspondence
Dr. Sagar Venkataraman,
Department of Orthopaedics, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College
SDUAHER, Tamaka, Kolar, 563101 Karnataka INDIA
E-mail: drsagarnaik86@gmail.com


Abstract

Background: Plantar fasciitis is one of the common causes of heel pain. Various modalities of treatment have been described in literature are plantar fascia stretching exercises, local corticosteroid injection, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, Platelet rich plasma injection at site of insertion and operative management. Our study was conducted to compare treatment between stretching exercises and local corticosteroid injection in rural population of patients with plantar fasciitis.
Materials and Methods: Our study included 60 patients diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. We divided randomly into two groups. Group 1 included 30 patients treated with stretching exercises, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, microcellular (MCR) footwear and other group 2 includes 30 patients with analgesics, microcellular (MCR) footwear and local corticosteroid injection. Patients were assessed after 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks from start of treatment with regard to pain and function. Pain was assessed using visual analogue scale.
Results: We analyzed our data using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) where score 0 is no pain and score 10 severe pain. The VAS scores were calculated at 2nd 4th 8th and 12th week. In our study obtained results showed pain severity in group 2 was significantly reduced after 2nd week and 4th week from start of the treatment when compared to group 1. However on subsequent follow up 8thweek and 12thweek pain severity was reduced in both the group and was almost similar. All the data from the study was evaluated by Student t test and ANOVA test with P value calculated in 2nd week, 4th week, 8th week and 12th week and out of which it was found to be statistically significant difference at end of 2nd, 4th and 8th week in both group, whereas at the end of 12th week there was not much statistically significant difference in both groups pain score.
Conclusion: In patients with plantar fasciitis, corticosteroid injection at site of maximal tenderness will relieves pain significantly but results are good for short duration pain relief that is up to 4 weeks after the injection. Where as in patients who continues to do stretching exercises are symptomatically better at end of 8th and 12th week of therapy. At end of 12th week both local steroid injection and Plantar fascia stretching exercise showed similar results in terms of pain relief
Key words: plantar fasciitis, corticosteroid injection, stretching exercises.


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How to Cite this article: Ethiraj P, Venkataraman S, Arun H.S , Salunke A. Plantar fasciitis management: A
comparative study between plantar fascia stretching exercises versus local corticosteroid injection. Journal of Karnataka Orthopaedic Association May – Aug 2019; 7(2): 17-21

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