Plantar fascia-specific stretching versus radial shock-wave therapy as initial treatment of plantar fasciopathy.

Background: Whether plantar fascia-specific stretching or shock-wave therapy is effective as an initial treatment for proximal plantar fasciopathy remains unclear. The aim of this study was to test the null hypothesis of no difference in the effectiveness of these two forms of treatment for patients who had unilateral plantar fasciopathy for a maximum duration of six weeks and which had not been treated previously.

Methods: One hundred and two patients with acute plantar fasciopathy were randomly assigned to perform an eight-week plantar fascia-specific stretching program (Group I, n = 54) or to receive repetitive low-energy radial shock-wave therapy without local anesthesia, administered weekly for three weeks (Group II, n = 48).

Low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy as a treatment for medial tibial stress syndrome.

Background: Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is a pain syndrome along the tibial origin of the tibialis posterior or soleus muscle. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (SWT) is effective in numerous types of insertional pain syndromes.

Hypothesis: Shock wave therapy is an effective treatment for chronic MTSS.

Plantar fasciopathy.

Plantar fasciopathy is the most common cause of plantar heel pain. Featuring pain and tenderness on the medial plantar aspect of the calcaneus, clinical diagnosis seems straightforward. The role of various management strategies should be considered in the light of the selflimiting nature of plantar fasciopathy with more than 80% of patients experiencing resolution within 12 months, regardless of management.

Home training, local corticosteroid injection, or radial shock wave therapy for greater trochanter pain syndrome.

Background: There are no controlled studies testing the efficacy of various nonoperative strategies for treatment of greater trochanter pain syndrome. Hypothesis The null hypothesis was that local corticosteroid injection, home training, and repetitive low-energy shock wave therapy produce equivalent outcomes 4 months from baseline.

Study Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial; Level of evidence, 2.

Eccentric loading versus eccentric loading plus shock-wave treatment for midportion achilles tendinopathy: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Results of a previous randomized controlled trial have shown comparable effectiveness of a standardized eccentric loading training and of repetitive low-energy shock-wave treatment (SWT) in patients suffering from chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy. No randomized controlled trials have tested whether a combined approach might lead to even better results.

Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of 2 management strategies--group 1: eccentric loading and group 2: eccentric loading plus repetitive low-energy shock-wave therapy.

Mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy--current options for treatment.

Purpose: To report on the present option for management of tendinopathy of the main body of the Achilles tendon.

Background: Tendinopathy of the main body of tendo Achillis affects athletic and sedentary patients. Mechanical loading is thought to be a major causative factor.

Eccentric loading compared with shock wave treatment for chronic insertional achilles tendinopathy. A randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Nonoperative management of chronic tendinopathy of the Achilles tendon insertion has been poorly studied. With the recently demonstrated effectiveness of eccentric loading and of repetitive low-energy shock wave therapy in patients with midsubstance Achilles tendinopathy, the aim of the present randomized, controlled trial was to verify the effectiveness of both procedures exclusively in patients with insertional Achilles tendinopathy.

Methods: Fifty patients with chronic (six months or more) recalcitrant insertional Achilles tendinopathy were enrolled in a randomized, controlled study.

Repetitive shock wave therapy for lateral elbow tendinopathy (tennis elbow): a systematic and qualitative analysis.

Objective: Pooled meta-analyses of statistically and clinically heterogeneous data of randomised-controlled studies are difficult to interpret. Therefore, a qualitative study-by-study assessment was thought to be of greater relevance, to physicians confronted with a therapy-resistant tennis elbow patient, to determine the effectiveness of shock wave therapy (SWT) for lateral elbow tendinopathy.

Setting: Orthopaedic clinic.

Shock wave therapy for chronic plantar fasciopathy.

Introduction: Relevant data of randomized-controlled studies on shock wave treatment for chronic plantar fasciopathy are statistically and clinically heterogeneous.

Methods: Randomized trials were identified form a current search of the Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group specialized register of trials, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE and reference lists of articles and dissertations. We identified and retrieved a total of 17 articles.