Abstract
Objectives:
Plantar fasciitis is a common pain disorder that affects the heel and soles of the feet. These are abnormalities at the location of tendon insertions in the bone and are characterized by scarring, inflammation, or damage to the plantar fascia. Treatment options for patients with plantar fasciitis vary with little consensus on the clinical approach. Physical therapy procedures including LLLT (Low-Level Laser Therapy) are most often applied in conservative treatment of plantar fasciitis. While steroid injection is a treatment that has been proven effective in the management of short-term symptoms. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of LLLT and steroid injection on pain and functional conditions in patients with plantar fasciitis.
Methods:
This is a prospective study conducted in 30 patients. 15 patients were treated with local injection steroids (single Group A) and 15 patients were treated with LLLT (Group B), 8 J / cm2 per day, 3 days per week for 2 weeks. VAS scores and FFI (Foot Function Index) are measured.
Results:
Pain intensity was reduced in both groups after 2 weeks. VAS scores decreased to 3.47 in Group A and 3.82 in Group B in 2 weeks (p <0.05). In Group A, FFI decreased to 22.03 ± 4.45 while in Group B it decreased to 26.40 ± 2.52 in the same interval. But generally, patients who suffer from plantar fasciitis prefer LLLT compared to more invasive steroid injection therapy.
Conclusion:
LLLT therapy and steroid injection are effective methods for reducing pain and improving foot function in plantar fasciitis. It appears that steroid injection is superior to LLLT therapy. But fear of invasive action, patients have LLLT.