Riassunto dello studio

Seventy patients aged 18–65 years with chronic plantar fasciitis (PF) symptoms for at least 3 months were randomized to receive either peloidotherapy plus exercise (n=35) or extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT ) plus exercise (n=35). Peloidotherapy was administered five days a week for three weeks, while ESWT was delivered once weekly for three weeks. All participants followed a home exercise program. Outcomes included pain measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Heel Tenderness Index (HTI), as well as functional status and quality of life assessed by the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and Short Form-36 (SF-36). Assessments occurred pre-treatment, immediately post-treatment, and at a one-month follow-up. Overall, the results revealed that both treatments significantly improved pain, functional status, and quality of life within and between groups, with peloidotherapy demonstrating a higher immediate effect post-treatment, but no significant difference in the one-month follow-up. The findings suggest that both interventions, combined with exercise, are effective for PF, with peloidotherapy showing an early but not sustained advantage.