title: An attempt at objective and subjective evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of focused and radial shockwave applied to symptomatic heel spur.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The experiment was designed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of focused shockwave and radial shockwave in symptomatic heel spur treatment. Postural balance tests were used to ensure the objectivity of evaluations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty three patients with symptomatic heel spur were divided into two comparative groups that received respectively focused shockwave therapy (the FSWT group; 2000 impulses, 4 Hz, 0.4 mJ/mm2) and radial shockwave therapy (the RSWT group; 2000 impulses, 8 Hz, 5 bars + 2000 impulses, 8 Hz, 2.5 bars). Each patient received 5 treatments at weekly intervals. Before therapy started and 1, 3, 6 and 12 weeks after it ended, the intensity of pain experienced by the patients was assessed and static balance tests were performed on a force platform.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Successive measurements showed that the intensity of all kinds of pain under consideration was decreasing gradually and statistically significantly in both groups. The percentage reduction in pain intensity was similar between the groups. The standard deviation of the COP in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions, 95% confidence ellipse area and COP velocity kept varying throughout the experiment, but in none of the groups changes were statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Focused shockwave therapy and radial shockwave therapy improve the well-being of patients with symptomatic heel spur significantly and comparably. Posturography cannot deliver unambiguous data for tracking changes that the two therapies induce in these patients.
authors.affiliation: The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Faculty of Physiotherapy, Department of Physiotherapy Basics, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Król
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine, Chair and Department of Medical Biophysics, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franek
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine, Chair and Department of Medical Biophysics, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dolibog
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine, Chair and Department of Medical Biophysics, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Błaszczak
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Silesia, School of Health Sciences, Chair and Department of Rehabilitation, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Durmała
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Culture and Health Promotion, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ficek
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Silesia, School of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Król
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Silesia, School of Health Sciences, Chair and Department of Rehabilitation, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Bartosz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wnuk
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine, Chair and Department of Medical Biophysics, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Patrycja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dolibog
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D036982:Heel Spur / Q000628:therapy*; D019220:High-Energy Shock Waves; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D004856:Postural Balance; D016896:Treatment Outcome