The Effect of Kinesio-tape and Shock Wave Therapy on Plantar Fasciitis

Foot problems are common in society. Accordingly, loss of workforce, quality of life and mental health deterioration can be observed in employees and hardship in daily life activities, balance-walking problems and fall risk increase in older adults. The presence of athletic and sedentary populations causes a large number of patients to apply to outpatient clinics with the complaint of heel pain every year. Plantar fasciitis (plantar heel pain), although multifactorial origin, obesity, overload bearing and ankle joint motion reduction factors are thought to play an active role in the emergence of discomfort. Foot orthoses are a common treatment used for plantar heel pain, but a period of several weeks is usually required between the diagnosis and transportation to the orthosis due to the production process. Therefore, short-term therapies such as supportive banding are used to alleviate the symptoms of this intermediate period. The low-dye taping technique is the most commonly used banding technique and has been found to be effective in randomized controlled trials. In addition, there is a rare study in the literature showing the efficacy of Kinesio taping method. Although both were found to be useful in the treatment of plantar fasciitis, no randomized controlled trial was studied in this patient population of the low-dye method with Kinesio taping. In the studies, the early period of banding therapy is mentioned and studies on relatively longer treatment response are still required. Our hypothesis is that low-dye Kinesio-banding treatment added to ESWT treatment for patients diagnosed with plantar fasciitis will be effective on foot functionality by reducing the pain of the patient both in the early and later period.