Type of Submission
Poster
Keywords
PRP, steroid, plantar fasciitis, platelet rich plasma
Abstract
Plantar fasciitis is a common complaint of many people at some point throughout their lifetime. The aim of this presentation is to provide an in-depth clinical review and comparison of two treatment options for chronic plantar fasciitis; steroid injections and platelet-rich plasma injections. Acute cases of plantar fasciitis are caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia of the foot. Therefore, common initial treatments include stretching of the calf muscle, stretching of the plantar fascia itself, rest, use of night splints, and orthotics. However, for some people these conservative treatments fail. In those situations, the pain is assumed to be caused by infiltration of macrophages, lymphocytes, and other destructive cells that cause damage to the tissue. In these cases, more invasive procedures may be indicated. Steroid injections have been a treatment option for a long time and seem to be successful in alleviating pain short term. However, a potentially more beneficial treatment option has come to light in the last ten to fifteen years called platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP). Though they are still considered an experimental treatment, and therefore are more expensive than other options, studies have shown PRP injections to be more beneficial for long-term healing and pain reduction in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis. PRP injections bring necessary growth factors and platelets to the damaged tissue and thus promote healing and growth, which is necessary in chronic cases of plantar fasciitis. Results of many studies comparing steroid injections and PRP injections have shown PRP injections to be more beneficial in the long-term healing of the tissue, though steroid injections appear to be beneficial for immediate pain reduction. After examining the evidence from clinical studies and systematic reviews, it appears that platelet-rich plasma injections provide a more positive long-term outcome for patients struggling with chronic cases of plantar fasciitis.
Campus Venue
Stevens Student Center Lobby
Location
Cedarville, OH
Start Date
4-3-2019 11:00 AM
End Date
4-3-2019 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Other Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons, Other Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons, Physical Therapy Commons
Plantar Fasciitis: Steroid Injections vs. PRP injections
Cedarville, OH
Plantar fasciitis is a common complaint of many people at some point throughout their lifetime. The aim of this presentation is to provide an in-depth clinical review and comparison of two treatment options for chronic plantar fasciitis; steroid injections and platelet-rich plasma injections. Acute cases of plantar fasciitis are caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia of the foot. Therefore, common initial treatments include stretching of the calf muscle, stretching of the plantar fascia itself, rest, use of night splints, and orthotics. However, for some people these conservative treatments fail. In those situations, the pain is assumed to be caused by infiltration of macrophages, lymphocytes, and other destructive cells that cause damage to the tissue. In these cases, more invasive procedures may be indicated. Steroid injections have been a treatment option for a long time and seem to be successful in alleviating pain short term. However, a potentially more beneficial treatment option has come to light in the last ten to fifteen years called platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP). Though they are still considered an experimental treatment, and therefore are more expensive than other options, studies have shown PRP injections to be more beneficial for long-term healing and pain reduction in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis. PRP injections bring necessary growth factors and platelets to the damaged tissue and thus promote healing and growth, which is necessary in chronic cases of plantar fasciitis. Results of many studies comparing steroid injections and PRP injections have shown PRP injections to be more beneficial in the long-term healing of the tissue, though steroid injections appear to be beneficial for immediate pain reduction. After examining the evidence from clinical studies and systematic reviews, it appears that platelet-rich plasma injections provide a more positive long-term outcome for patients struggling with chronic cases of plantar fasciitis.
