Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) in the Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis – A Biometrical Review

The application of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) as a treatment for conservatively unsuccessfully treated plantar fasciitis has experienced a rapid increase over the last years. However, the efficacy of ESWT has not yet been established unequivocally, as published studies have led to inconsistent results. Furthermore, reviews on clinical trials on ESWT are either not up to date, incomplete, or methodologically inadequate. As a consequence, a systematic literature search was conducted which yielded 21 relevant articles on ESWT in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. These were rated according to biometrical criteria for the conduct of therapeutic trials based on international guidelines. None of the rated trials fulfilled all of the criteria, and it is concluded that at this point the efficacy of ESWT can be neither confirmed nor excluded. Randomised and controlled clinical trials are required to adequately estimate the value of ESWT as a treatment for plantar fasciitis.