Effects of kinesio taping versus extracorporeal shock wave therapy on pain in the treatment of plantar heel pain secondary to plantar fasciitis and a calcaneal spur: A retrospective clinical trial

Plantar heel pain is a common musculoskeletal problem in adults that causes limitation and disability in daily life activities. This study aimed to compare the effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy(ESWT) and kinesio taping(KT) treatments on pain, functionality and quality of life in the treatment of plantar heel pain secondary to plantar fasciitis and a calcaneal spur. Patients who received ESWT or KT treatment for plantar heel pain between September 2023 and February 2024 were retrospectively screened. Before treatment and at the third month after treatment, pain levels were evaluated with Visual Analog Scale (VAS), sensitivity with Heel Tenderness Index (HTI), functional status with Foot Function Index (FFI) and quality of life with the 12-item short form health survey(SF-12).A total of 60 patients were included in the study,32 patients in the ESWT group and 28 patients in the KT group. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of age, gender, VAS value, HTI level, FFI value and SF-12 physical component score (PCS) before treatment. There was a significant improvement in VAS, HTI, FFI, and SF-12 PCS evaluations after treatment in both groups compared to the baseline. Furthermore, while both treatment methods resulted in a regression in VAS levels and improvement in FFI scores, the KT group demonstrated significantly better outcomes than the ESWT group. There was no significant difference in improvement in SF-12 PCS scores between the two groups. Our study indicates KT may be more effective than ESWT for treating plantar heel pain in terms of pain and functionality, but both treatment modalities have similar effects on quality of life.