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Shock Wave Therapy: Do the External Appearance of the Device Influence Clinical Outcomes?

Phase 4
Completed
Conditions
Plantar Fasciitis
Pain
Interventions
Device: Standard shock waves device
Device: Austere shock waves device
Device: Sophisticated shock waves device
Registration Number
NCT02608723
Lead Sponsor
Asociacion Colaboracion Cochrane Iberoamericana
Brief Summary

To check in patients suffering from chronic plantar fasciitis treated with shock wave therapy, if the outward appearance of the device affects clinical outcomes.

Detailed Description

Study Design: a controlled, randomized, parallel assessor-blinded clinical trial.

Patients suffering from chronic plantar fasciitis (duration more than 6 months) will be assigned to three different groups:

* Group I: Treatment applied by standard shock waves device.

* Group II: Shock wave therapy applied by a modified standard device to offer more attractive, more technical, smarter, better appearance, larger and with an expansion of external information devices more sophisticated.

* Group III: Shock wave therapy applied by a modified standard device to offer a more austere, disfigured, unattractive, modest and smaller external appearance.

The shock waves emitted to the 3 devices will be identical; the only difference will be the external image of the device.

The main outcome will be the function of the foot by the FFI (Foot Function Index) questionnaire.

As secondary variables: pain by VAS (Visual Analogical Scale) in different situations, the plantar fascia thickness measured by ultrasound, and the perception of patient recovery measured with the Likert scale. Adverse effects, painkillers consumption and pain experienced during the treatment of shock waves were also assessed.

The patients will be followed and monitored for a month, two months and four months after treatment finished.

For the statistical analysis of clinical variables, ANOVA (analysis of variance) will be performed to check whether the evolution of patients over time was different depending on the device applied.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
135
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Age greater than 18 years.

  2. Being able to understand the explanations about the potential benefits and risks of study participation.

  3. Diagnosis of chronic plantar fasciitis. Proven by clinical examination: Meeting at least 2 of the following criteria:

    • Tenderness in the proximal insertion of the plantar fascia (area of the medial calcaneal tuberosity).
    • Pain during the first steps to get out of bed in the morning and / or after a period of rest time.
  4. With a duration of symptoms ≥ 6 months at the time of study entry.

  5. Having received conservative therapy without success, at least two treatments. Treatments may have been made isolated, combined or consecutively.

Exclusion Criteria
  1. Bilateral plantar fasciitis.
  2. Hiper/ hypothyroidism.
  3. Diabetes mellitus.
  4. Treatment with anticoagulants
  5. Inflammatory diseases.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Standard shock waves deviceStandard shock waves device3 sessions were applied: one per week.
Austere shock waves deviceAustere shock waves device3 sessions were applied: one per week.
Sophisticated shock waves deviceSophisticated shock waves device3 sessions were applied: one per week.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Function of the footFour months

FFI (Foot Function Index) questionnaire

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
PainFour months

VAS (Visual Analogical Scale)

Plantar fascia thicknessFour months

Ultrasounds

Perception of patient recoveryFour months

Likert scale

Painkillers consumptionFour months

Painkillers consumption

Adverse effectsFour months

Adverse effects

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Rehabilitation Center "Salut i Esport"

🇪🇸

Santa Perpetua, Barcelona, Spain

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