"Comparison of Shockwave Application on the Sole of the Foot Vs. the Back of the Leg in the Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis: a Clinical Trial."

The study focuses on plantar fasciitis, one of the most common causes of non-traumatic foot and ankle pain, with an estimated prevalence of 10%. Its objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of shock wave therapy applied along the course of the sciatic nerve in treating plantar fasciitis, comparing its effects on pain, foot-ankle functionality, and quality of life. Forty-eight subjects will be recruited and randomly assigned to two groups: one will receive local shock wave therapy, while the other will receive therapy along the sciatic nerve. Data will be collected at four points in time: before the intervention, one week after, one month after, and three months after, with blinded data collection. Pain, foot-ankle functionality, and quality of life will be measured. Data analysis will be performed using SPSS 29.0, applying ANOVA and other tests depending on the normality of the data. Differences will be estimated with a 95% confidence interval and a p-value \< 0.05.