Physiotherapeutic treatment of plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis or heel pain syndrome is a common cause of heel and foot pain in adults that affects about 2 million Americans a year and it is estimated that about 10% of the world’s population have presented or will present foot pain at some time in their life. Objective: To review the literature in order to verify the effectiveness of the modalities of physical therapy in patients with plantar fasciitis. Method: An electronic search was conducted in the databases of the Cochrane Library, Medline (via Pubmed), PEDro, and LILACS, with no date or language restrictions. In the present study, articles about the physical therapy for plantar fasciitis and those that have focused on the surgical treatment were included. Results: In total, 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. The procedures were: Stretching sural triceps, manual therapy, bandaging, orthotics/ insoles and electrotherapy. Conclusions: There is moderate evidence that stretching exercises for the triceps surae provide benefits to patients with plantar fasciitis. The evidence of the application of bandages is still weak, but some studies have reported improvement in pain and function in the short term. There is good quality evidence supporting the use of custom insoles that can provide short-term improvement in pain and function in patients with plantar fasciitis. The use of night splints presents controversial results, although some studies have shown good results.