Shockwave or laser: which zaps plantar fasciitis pain best?
NCT ID NCT07672327
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compares two non-invasive treatments—extracorporeal shock wave therapy and high-intensity laser therapy—for chronic plantar fasciitis, a common cause of heel pain. Sixty adults will receive one of the treatments plus standard physical therapy. Researchers will measure pain, foot function, and muscle strength to see which approach works better.
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 high-intensity laser therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show which non-invasive treatment works better for reducing heel pain and improving foot function in people with chronic plantar fasciitis.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 60 participants. Results may not apply to everyone, and neither treatment may prove clearly better than standard physical therapy.
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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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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 45 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 1\. Patients will be included according to the diagnostic criteria for plantar fasciitis of the American physical therapy association (APTA) (Martin et al., 2014). This criterion includes pain in medial sole and heel of foot: most pronounced in initial steps after a period of inactivity, it also worsens after prolonged weight bearing, pain during palpation and compression of proximal plantar fascia, limited range of motion in active and passive ankle dorsiflexion, positive windlass test. 2\. Patients will be referred from an orthopedic surgeon with confirmed diagnosis of plantar fasciitis (Bidoki et al., 2024). 3\. Patients with chronic plantar fasciitis (Duration of patient's symptoms will be more than three months) (Riaz et al., 2023). 4\. Patients' age will range from 18 to 45 years (Bidoki et al., 2024). 5. Both genders (Riaz et al., 2023). 6. Localized non radiating foot pain with an NPRS more than 5 on the first step in the morning (Riaz et al., 2023). Exclusion Criteria: * Patients will be excluded if they present any of the following criteria 1. History of previous surgery of plantar fasciitis (Riaz et al., 2023). 2. History of previous corticosteroid injections (Bidoki et al., 2024). 3. History of heel pain due to previous trauma or calcaneus stress fracture in the last 3 months (Bidoki et al., 2024). 4. History of previous lumbar spine surgery (Bidoki et al., 2024). 5. History of rheumatologic disease (rheumatoid arthritis, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, gout, Sjogren disease, enthesopathy, etc…) (Bidoki et al., 2024). 6. Pregnancy, pacemaker fitted or bleeding disorders (Bidoki et al., 2024). 7. Wounds, infections or tumors in the treatment area (Bidoki et al., 2024).
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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
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Mecca
Mecca, Mecca Region, 24211, Saudi Arabia
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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