Riassunto dello studio

Seventy patients with chronic plantar fasciitis were randomized to receive either ESWT (n=36) or prolotherapy (n=34). The primary outcome was pain intensity measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes included the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), plantar fascia thickness, and plantar pressure distribution. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks post-intervention. Overall, the results of the study revealed that both treatments significantly reduced morning VAS values and plantar fascia thickness at 12 weeks. However, prolotherapy was found to be more effective than ESWT in reducing overall VAS at 12 weeks, while functional and plantar pressure distribution parameters did not differ significantly. This suggests that prolotherapy may have a superior pain-reducing effect over the medium term, though both treatments appear to be similarly effective overall in this patient population.