earticle

영어

This study was conducted to compare the acute effects of radial extra-corporeal shockwave therapy (r-ESWT), ultrasound (US) therapy and home exercise therapy on pain, fatigue, performance and walking dis-tance in women with plantar fasciitis (PF). Fifty-four female patients di-agnosed with PF participated in the study. The patients were randomly divided into 3 groups as r-ESWT and home exercise groups, US and home exercise groups, and only home exercise groups. Patients’ pain and fatigue levels were assessed by using a visual analog scale. Also walking distances, walking speed and plantar flexor muscles perfor-mance were assessed. Patients’ pain at night before bedtime and leg fatigue after the 6-min walking test decreased in the US therapy group in comparison to the other two groups (P<0.05). The 20-m walking speed improved in the US and r-ESWT therapy groups following the treatments (P<0.05) and there was no difference between the groups. After treatment, while the 20-m walking speed was increasing in US and r-ESWT groups (P<0.05), no increase was observed in exercise group. But there was no difference between the 20-m walking speed of 3 groups after treatment (P>0.05). However, all three groups’ com-plaints decreased after treatment. Our study results illustrated that r-ESWT, US, and home exercise therapy have acute effects on the PF treatment and when there is no possibility of practising any treatment to patients, home exercises such as r-ESWT, US treatment are effective therapies for decreasing pain and fatigue levels and improving perfor-mance and walking distance.