Extracorporeal shock wave therapy works no better than placebo for plantar fasciitis. In a randomised, blinded, multicentre trial with 272 patients in Germany, Haake and colleagues (p 75) found no benefit from extracorporeal shock wave therapy versus placebo for treating chronic plantar fasciitis. At 12 weeks' follow up, the success rate of the shock wave therapy was 34%, compared with 30% with placebo. Improvement rates were similar after three months and one year in both groups.
. 2003 Jul 12;327(7406):0.