Acupuncture Girl

Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis in Recreational Athletes

This study, published in Foot and Ankle Specialists, concludes: “ Acupuncture should be considered as a major therapeutic instrument for the decrease of heel pain, combined with traditional medical approaches.”

Two Different Therapeutic Protocols

Abstract

Plantar fasciitis (PF) commonly causes inferior heel pain and occurs in up to 10% of the US population. Treatment protocols in most studies include the use of ice therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and stretching and strengthening protocols. The aim of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of 2 different therapeutic approaches on the treatment of PF in recreational athletes using the Pain and Disability Scale for the evaluation. A total of 38 participants with PF were randomly allocated to 2 different groups of 19 male participants in each group. Group 1 was treated with ice, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, and a stretching and a strengthening program. Group 2 received the same therapeutic procedures as group 1, reinforced by acupuncture treatment. The primary outcomes, nominated a priori, were pain description and mobility-function at 1 and 2 months. Outcomes were measured with the pain scale for PF. The mean total score of the acupuncture group at the third measurement was statistically minor compared with the mean total score of the first group. Acupuncture should be considered as a major therapeutic instrument for the decrease of heel pain, combined with traditional medical approaches.

1. Panagiotis Karagounis, MD, MSc⇓
2. Maria Tsironi, MD, PhD
3. George Prionas, MSc
4. Georgios Tsiganos, PhD
5. Panagiotis Baltopoulos, MD, PhD

1. Laboratory of Functional Anatomy and Sports Medicine (KP, PG, BP)
2. Department of Sports Medicine and Biology of Physical Activity (TG)
3. Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, University of Athens, Athens; and School of Nursing, University of Peloponnese, Sparta (TM), Greece

Effect of acupuncture treatment on heel pain due to plantar fasciitis

This review in the British Medical Journal concludes “Our study demonstrates that acupuncture is effective in treating patients with chronic heel pain due to plantar fasciitis and that the addition of trigger point acupuncture in poor or non-responders may be useful. “ 

From the BMJ:

Summary

Eighteen patients attending an orthopaedic outpatient clinic with a year or more’s history of heel pain due to plantar fasciitis were studied. All had had conservative treatment of physiotherapy and shoe-support without significant pain relief before acupuncture was offered, and thus acted as their own controls for the purposes of the study. The following traditional points were needled: Taixi (KI.3), Kunlun (BL.60) and Sanyinjiao (SP.6). Pain was assessed by a 100mm visual analogue scale (VAS) before treatment was started and after four, weekly sessions of acupuncture treatment. If complete pain relief was not obtained by the initial four-week treatment, a further two, weekly sessions of the above mentioned acupoints, with the addition of trigger point acupuncture in the gastro-soleus and plantar fascia, was carried out and pain assessed.

Patients were also assessed with a verbal rating score to indicate the percentage improvement after acupuncture compared to before treatment. The mean duration of heel pain was 25.11 months (SD 10.68). The VAS data obtained at 4 and 6 weeks of acupuncture treatment showed a statistically highly significant improvement compared to the VAS before acupuncture (p < 0.0009 and p < 0.0001 respectively). Using the Mann-Whitney test, there was a statistically significant difference in VAS obtained at 6 weeks, after trigger point acupuncture had been added for poor responders, compared to that obtained after the first 4 weeks of acupuncture treatment (p < 0.047). Our study demonstrates that acupuncture is effective in treating patients with chronic heel pain due to plantar fasciitis and that the addition of trigger point acupuncture in poor or non-responders may be useful.

Acupunct Med 1998;16:66-68  doi:10.1136/aim.16.2.66 

1. A Tillu1,
2. S Gupta2

+ Author Affiliations

1. ¹ Department of Orthopaedics, Bedford South Wing Hospital
2. ² Department of Anaesthetics, Bedford South Wing Hospital

1. Department of Orthopaedics, Bedford South Wing Hospital, Kempston Road, Bedford MK42 9DJ (UK)