title: Severe chronic heel pain in a diabetic patient with plantar fasciitis successfully treated through transcranial direct current stimulation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a noninvasive brain stimulation technique, was proposed as a suitable method for the treatment of several chronic pain syndromes. We describe a case of severe heel pain in a diabetic patient with plantar fasciitis successfully treated with tDCS.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study investigated whether tDCS treatment could reduce pain and pain-related anxiety in a 65-year-old diabetic man affected by treatment-resistant right heel pain due to plantar fasciitis. The patient underwent five tDCS treatment sessions on 5 consecutive days. Each session consisted of 20-min anodal tDCS over the left primary motor cortex leg area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The neurostimulation protocol induced a decrease in pain intensity and pain-related anxiety that outlasted the stimulation (1 week). Furthermore, the patient stopped the intake of opioid medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapeutic neuromodulation with tDCS may represent an alternative option for treating severe lower-extremity pain.
authors: Al Sawah
authors: AS
authors: Mohomad
authors: Rimawi
authors: R
authors: Mohammad
authors: Eileen
authors: E
authors: Chusid
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Trepal
authors: Fortunato
authors: F
authors: Battaglia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D036981:Fasciitis, Plantar / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D006365:Heel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / Q000379:methods*