title: Miniscalpel-Needle versus Steroid Injection for Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial with a 12-Month Follow-Up.
abstract: Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain in adults. A novel alternative medical instrument, the miniscalpel-needle (MSN), which is based on an acupuncture needle, has been recently developed in China. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the MSN release treatment versus that of traditional steroid injection for plantar fasciitis. Patients with plantar fasciitis were randomly assigned to 2 groups and followed up for 12 months, with 29 receiving MSN treatment and 25 receiving steroid injection treatment. The results showed that visual analog scale scores for morning pain, active pain, and overall heel pain all were decreased significantly in the MSN group from 1 to 12 months after treatment. In contrast, treatment with steroid injection showed a significant effect only at the 1-month follow-up but not at 6 or 12 months after treatment. Moreover, the MSN group achieved more rapid and sustained improvements than the steroid group throughout the duration of this study. No severe side effects were observed with MSN treatment. Our data suggest that the MSN release treatment is safe and has a significant benefit for plantar fasciitis compared to steroid injection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, No. 151, Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, China ; Department of Orthopaedics Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, No. 151, Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, China.
authors.forename: Shuming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, No. 151, Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, China.
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, No. 151, Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, China.
authors.forename: Yongshan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, No. 151, Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, No. 151, Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bai
references.citation: J Foot Ankle Res. 2009 Nov 13;2:32
references.pmid: 19912628
references.citation: Anesth Analg. 2008 Feb;106(2):602-10
references.pmid: 18227322
references.citation: J Foot Ankle Surg. 1995 Jul-Aug;34(4):400-6
references.pmid: 7488999
references.citation: Foot Ankle Int. 1994 Jul;15(7):376-81
references.pmid: 7951973
references.citation: Semin Musculoskelet Radiol. 2010 Sep;14(3):334-43
references.pmid: 20539958
references.citation: Foot Ankle Int. 1994 Mar;15(3):97-102
references.pmid: 7951946
references.citation: Pain. 1983 May;16(1):87-101
references.pmid: 6602967
references.citation: Foot Ankle Int. 1999 Dec;20(12):803-7
references.pmid: 10609710
references.citation: Altern Med Rev. 2005 Jun;10(2):83-93
references.pmid: 15989378
references.citation: J Altern Complement Med. 2007 Jan-Feb;13(1):129-32
references.pmid: 17309387
references.citation: J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2003 Jul;85(7):1270-7
references.pmid: 12851352
references.citation: Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1994 Sep;(306):192-6
references.pmid: 8070194
references.citation: Am J Chin Med. 2010;38(3):441-8
references.pmid: 20503463
references.citation: Anaesthesia. 1976 Nov;31(9):1191-8
references.pmid: 1015603
references.citation: Brain Res Bull. 2004 Jan 15;62(4):327-34
references.pmid: 14709347
references.citation: Orthopedics. 1993 Oct;16(10):1153-63
references.pmid: 8255812
references.citation: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:154108
references.pmid: 19933769
references.citation: Am J Chin Med. 2012;40(6):1167-76
references.pmid: 23227789
references.citation: Foot Ankle Int. 1998 Feb;19(2):91-7
references.pmid: 9498581
references.citation: Rheumatology (Oxford). 1999 Oct;38(10):974-7
references.pmid: 10534548
references.citation: J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2009 Aug;34(4):522-5
references.pmid: 19675034
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2004 May 20;350(21):2159-66
references.pmid: 15152061
references.citation: Mediators Inflamm. 2003 Apr;12(2):59-69
references.pmid: 12775355
references.citation: Am Fam Physician. 1999 Apr 15;59(8):2200-6
references.pmid: 10221305
references.citation: Ann Rheum Dis. 2013 Jun;72(6):996-1002
references.pmid: 22739993
references.citation: Foot Ankle Int. 2013 Jan;34(1):8-14
references.pmid: 23386757
references.citation: Clin J Pain. 2010 Mar-Apr;26(3):251-7
references.pmid: 20173440
references.citation: Sports Med. 2006;36(7):585-611
references.pmid: 16796396
references.citation: Zhongguo Gu Shang. 2010 Aug;23(8):616-9
references.pmid: 20860141
references.citation: BMJ Clin Evid. 2008 Feb 05;2008:
references.pmid: 19450330
references.citation: Prog Neurobiol. 2008 Aug;85(4):355-75
references.pmid: 18582529
references.citation: Neurosci Lett. 2004 May 6;361(1-3):258-61
references.pmid: 15135942
references.citation: Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2000 Oct;81(10):1416-21
references.pmid: 11030509
references.citation: Am Fam Physician. 2001 Feb 1;63(3):467-74, 477-8
references.pmid: 11272297
references.citation: Pain. 1976 Sep;2(3):285-299
references.pmid: 141020
references.citation: J Altern Complement Med. 2007 Jan-Feb;13(1):14-6
references.pmid: 17309371
references.citation: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2008 Jun;5(2):145-51
references.pmid: 18604254
references.citation: Life Sci. 1976 Dec 1;19(11):1757-62
references.pmid: 187888
references.citation: Eur J Appl Physiol. 2003 Sep;90(1-2):114-9
references.pmid: 12827364
references.citation: Acupunct Med. 2012 Jun;30(2):142-3
references.pmid: 22534724
references.citation: Am Fam Physician. 2011 Sep 15;84(6):676-82
references.pmid: 21916393
references.citation: Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1995 Oct;(319):330
references.pmid: 7554647
references.citation: J Rheumatol. 2000 Sep;27(9):2139-41
references.pmid: 10990224
references.citation: Anesth Analg. 2007 Feb;104(2):301-7
references.pmid: 17242084
references.citation: Foot Ankle Int. 1994 Oct;15(10):531-5
references.pmid: 7834059