EC Orthopaedics

Objective: Overuse clinical syndrome characterized by chronic pain and functional deterioration of tendon and fascia thickening. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of dry needling on symptoms of persistent overuse syndrome of the foot, which cannot benefit from other treatments.

Methods: Fourteen participants (the mean age was 45.71 ± 10.21 years) who had chronic persistent Achilles tendinopathy or plantar fasciitis were joined the study. Dry needling was applied for twice a week until no morning pain and stiffness feeling on the affected area of the foot. The VISA-A questionnaire form was full filled by participants before and after the end of the treatment. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain intensity and feeling pain and discomfort were used to determine outcomes. VAS and feeling pain and discomfort were evaluated before the treatment, 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd weeks after the baseline assessment.

Results: There were significant differences in the VISA-A score, VAS and the feeling pain and discomfort scores before and after the repeated assessment of 5 trial of dry needling treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study suggests that approximate 5 times trial of dry needling is effective in treating chronic condition of Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis.

Keywords: Dry Needling; Foot; Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

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