Efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies on pain intensity and disability for plantar fasciitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies on pain intensity and disability for plantar fasciitis. DESIGN: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). DATA SOURCES: AMED, MEDLINE, PEDro, Cochrane, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, EMBASE and PsycINFO without language or date restrictions up to 3 February 2023. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: RCTs that evaluated the efficacy of any pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies compared with control (placebo, sham, waiting list or no intervention) on pain intensity and disability in people with plantar fasciitis. Two reviewers independently screened eligible trials, extracted data, assessed the methodological quality of included trials and assessed the certainty of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations framework. Mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs were reported. RESULTS: Seventeen different therapies investigated in 28 trials were included in the quantitative analysis. For non-pharmacological therapies, moderate certainty evidence showed short-term effects of customised orthoses on pain intensity when compared with control (MD of -12.0 points (95% CI -17.1 to -7.0) on a 0-100 scale). Low certainty evidence showed short-term effects of taping on pain intensity (-21.3 (95% CI -38.6 to -4.0)). Long-term effects and effects on disability are still uncertain. For pharmacological therapies, low to very low quality evidence from few trials with small samples was inconclusive and supports that high-quality trials are needed. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate-quality and low-quality evidence demonstrates customised orthoses and taping, respectively, reduce pain intensity in the short term in patients with plantar fasciitis. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021224416.

An exploration of the effects of prefabricated and customized insoles on lower limb kinetics and kinematics during walking, stepping up and down tasks: A time series analysis.

BACKGROUND: Prefabricated and customized insoles are used in clinical practice to reduce foot pronation. Although data exist on the effects at key points within the stance phase, exploring the impact of different insoles using time series analysis may reveal more detail about their efficacy. RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the effects revealed by a time series analysis of arch-supported prefabricated insoles (PREFABRICATED) versus arch-supported prefabricated insoles customized with a 6º medial wedge (CUSTOMIZED) on the lower limb biomechanics during walking, stepping up and down tasks in individuals with pronated feet? METHODS: Nineteen individuals with excessive foot pronation performed walking, stepping up and down tasks using three insoles: CONTROL (flat insole), CUSTOMIZED, and PREFABRICATED. Angles and moments of ankle and knee coronal and hip transverse planes were compared between conditions using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). RESULTS: For walking, CUSTOMIZED reduced ankle eversion moment compared to CONTROL during midstance and PREFABRICATED during propulsion. CUSTOMIZED decreased KAM during midstance and propulsion compared to PREFABRICATED. Compared to CONTROL, CUSTOMIZED and PREFABRICATED reduced hip internal rotation during propulsion and loading response, respectively. CUSTOMIZED decreased eversion movement during midstance and propulsion for the stepping up task. PREFABRICATED reduced eversion movement during midstance in comparison to CONTROL. For the stepping down task, CUSTOMIZED increased eversion movement during propulsion compared to PREFABRICATED. CUSTOMIZED reduced hip internal rotation angle for stepping up task during propulsion, decreased medial rotation movement during midstance compared to CONTROL, and reduced medial rotation during midstance compared to PREFABRICATED. CUSTOMIZED increased KAM for stepping up and down tasks during propulsion. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest that both CUSTOMIZED and PREFABRICATED reduce foot pronation. However, non-local effects, such as changes in KAM and hip internal rotation, were seen only in the CUSTOMIZED. Therefore, CUSTOMIZED may be preferable if the objective is to modify the knee and hip mechanics.

The Brazilian version of the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment - Hamstring (VISA-H) Questionnaire: Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties.

STUDY DESIGN: Study of diagnostic accuracy/assessment scale. BACKGROUND: Proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT) usually causes disability, deep pain in the proximal insertion of the tendon, and limitations in daily life and sports practice. Scales that assess PHT pain and disability may assist practitioners in their clinical decision-making processes. OBJECTIVES: To perform a translation, cross-cultural adaptation and to evaluate the measurement properties of the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment - Hamstring (VISA-H) questionnaire for the Brazilian population. METHODS: The VISA-H was adapted to Brazilian Portuguese (VISA-H-Br) and applied in 2 occasions with 5-8-day intervals. The following measurement properties were evaluated: internal consistency, test-retest reliability, standard error of the measurement (SEM), smallest detectable change (SDC), structural validity, and construct validity. Ninety (n = 90) participants (40 PHT and 50 asymptomatic participants) were evaluated using the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and VISA-H. PHT was diagnosed via clinical examination. RESULTS: The questionnaire was successfully translated, cross-culturally adapted, and renamed VISA-H-Br. The VISA-H-Br questionnaire demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.96), excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.90, CI 95% 0.83-0.93), and strong construct validity (rho = 0.692, p < 0.01 compared to LEFS). The SEM was 2.15 points, and the SDC was 5.96 points. No ceiling or floor effects were detected. CONCLUSION: The Brazilian version of the VISA-H was consistent, reliable, and valid. Therefore, it may be used in clinical practice and research to assess the pain and disability of patients with PHT.