Plantar fasciit : Sjukgymnastiska behandlingsmetoder inom primärvården i Dalarnas-, Gävleborgs- och Västmanlands län

Sammanfattning: Abstract Background: Plantar fasciitis is the most common heel injury and is a long-term pain syndrom in the attachment of the plantar fascia to the calcaneus bone. The condition is treated mainly in primary care, but there is currently no treatment guideline for the treatment of plantar fasciitis in Sweden. The purpose of this study was to investigate which treatment that occurred in primary care in Dalarna, Gävleborg and Västmanland counties, which treatments that were most common alone and in combination with each other. The aim was also to investigate if the four most commonly used treatment methods as physical therapists said they had used were supported in the literature, and if there was any difference between county employees and private physical therapists in the choice of treatment method. Method: 100 physiotherapists in primary care in Dalarna, Gävleborg and Västmanland counties, received a questionnaire by mail. 80 of the 100 physiotherapists were county employees and 20 were private employees. They were asked about what treatment methods they used for plantar fasciitis, both individual treatments and combination treatments. A comparison was made between county employees and private employees' choice of treatments and the four individual most frequently used treatments were examined on the basis of recent research. Results: 65 physiotherapists answered the survey, of which 61 of them treated patients with plantar fasciitis. The four most frequently used treatments were taping, stretch of the plantar fascia, advice about start using insoles and advice about changing of shoes. The first three treatments named above were also those most commonly used in combination with each other. This was true for physiotherapists in county as well as in private employment. There is some evidence that these three treatments relieve pain particularly in short term. Conclusion: The four most frequently used treatments were taping, stretch of the plantar fascia, advice about start using insoles and advice about changing of shoes. The conclusion drawn from the evidence currently available to taping, stretch of the plantar fascia and insoles is that it should be a part of the treatment plan for patients with plantar fasciitis. Further research is needed where larger studies and follow-up studies over a longer time is made. Studies of the most common combination treatments should be made, to mimic how they are used in everyday clinical practice.