A recent groundbreaking study concluded that plantar fasciitis treatment combining ultrasound with steroid injections was 95% effective.

Plantar fasciitis is a foot problem affecting the plantar fascia, a connective tissue in the heel. This condition is treatable, but in many cases can take up to a year to be effective.

Luca M. Sconfienza, M.D., from the University of Genoa in Italy, conducted the study. The new treatment involves an ultrasound-guided technique with a steroid injection to the plantar fascia. It is a one-time outpatient procedure involving a small amount of anesthesia. This technique, known as dry-needling, causes small amounts of bleeding that aid in healing the fascia.

It was discovered that 42 of the 44 patients involved in the study had their symptoms disappear entirely within three weeks. “This therapy is quicker, easier, less painful, and less expensive than shockwave therapy,” Dr. Sconfienza stated. “In cases of mild plantar fasciitis, patients should first try non-invasive solutions before any other treatments. But when pain becomes annoying and affects the activities of daily living, dry-needling with steroid injection is a viable option," she added.

Conventional treatment options include certain exercises, rest, arch supports, and night splints. If these options prove to be ineffective, many patients undergo shockwave therapy. In shockwave therapy, sound waves are directed to the area where pain is experienced. This therapy can be effective but also painful, and calls for several sessions. Shockwave therapy is not guaranteed to alleviate pain caused by plantar fasciitis.