Shockwave vs laser: which zaps plantar fasciitis pain best?
NCT ID NCT06846931
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested two common treatments for chronic plantar fasciitis—low-intensity shockwave therapy and low-intensity laser therapy—in 90 adults aged 18 to 65. Participants received either three weekly shockwave sessions or nine laser sessions over three weeks. The goal was to see which therapy better reduced pain, improved foot function, and affected balance.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Extracorporeal shock wave therapy and low-intensity laser therapy
- What this could lead to
- If one treatment proves better, it could offer a more effective non-surgical option for chronic heel pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with no blinding, so results may be biased. Neither treatment is a cure, and some people may not improve.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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90 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2025
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Male and female patients between 18 and 65 years of age, diagnosed with "plantar fasciitis" by anamnesis and physical examination * Complaint duration of at least 3 months * Patients who agree to participate in the study Exclusion Criteria: * Complaint lasting less than 3 months * Injection in the heel area in the last 6 months * Use of physiotherapy modalities for the heel in the last 6 months * Bilateral complaint * Pregnancy * Malignancy * Epilepsy * History of cardiac pacemaker * Anticoagulant use * History of systemic inflammatory disease * History of lower extremity fracture or surgery * Existing open wound in the heel area * Patient hypersensitivity * Systemic infection in the patient * Uncontrolled hypertension in the patient * Patient inability to cooperate * History of neuromuscular disease affecting balance parameters * Unwillingness of the patient to participate in the study
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Kırşehir Ahi Evran University
Kirşehi̇r, 40100, Turkey (Türkiye)
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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