Comparison of dry needling and steroid injection in the treatment of plantar fasciitis

Comparison of dry needling and steroid injection in the treatment of plantar fasciitis: a single-blind randomized clinical trial.

Article specifications

This clinical trial was published in 2014 in Journal of Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. (IF 2014:3.053) by Korean specialists. The present study deal with management of intractable plantar fasciitis using various injection methods. In this study, Hyaluonic acid injection and dry needling has been performed to determine and compare the efficacy and adverse effects of the two methods in management of plantar fasciitis refractory to non-invasive conservative treatments. Fifty-seven patients with plantar fasciitis for more than one year who did not respond to non-invasive conservative treatment were enrolled in the study. Then, either ultrasound-guided hyaluronic acid injection or dry needling was performed on all patients weekly for three weeks. Visual analogue scale (VAS), aofas-Hindfoot Scale, and plantar fascia thickness were prospectively evaluated before treatment and every two months after treatment.

 

Result

Significant improvement in VAS and AOFAS-hindfoot scale were seen in both treatment groups. Both Ultrasound-guided hyaluronic injection and dry needling can be clinically effective and safe for patients with plantar fasciitis who did not respond to non-invasive conservative methods.