Abstract

Introduction: plantar fasciitis is a common pathology characterized by focal pain in the lower medial part of the heel, being one of the most common causes of heel pain, between 11 and 15 % of the population suffers from it, and the most common age of patients ranges from 40 to 60 years. The general objective of this bibliographic review is to analyze the scientific evidence of the effectiveness of shock waves in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. Material and method: following the PRISMA standards, a review of the scientific literature published from 2010 to 2020 has been carried out in the databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Plus Library, Science Direct and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). The selected studies are randomized control trials and were reviewed following the criteria established in the PEDro scale. Results: nine articles have met the inclusion criteria and have been included in the review. All subjects in the selected articles suffered plantar fasciitis and were treated with shock waves. The reviewed studies show statistically significant results in reducing pain and improving function. Conclusions: all the studies included in this review seem to show that the use of shock waves in the treatment of plantar fasciitis is effective, except for one, that although positive changes were found compared to the placebo group as a reduction in the thickness of the fascia and pain were not statistically significant.