SynthesisSingapore medical journal2017
How effective is acupuncture for reducing pain due to plantar fasciitis?
Synthesis in Singapore medical journal, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effectiveness of Invasive Electrostimulation Combined With an Exercise Program in Plantar. A Clinical Trial
Acupuncture for Plantar Fasciosis in the Primary Care Setting
A Randomized, Controlled, Multi-site Trial of a Specific Acupuncture Protocol for the Treatment of Plantar Fasciosis
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Acupuncture for the Relief of Chronic Pain: A Synthesis of Systematic Reviews.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2019Pooled it
- Acupuncture Therapy for Extremity Musculoskeletal Pain: A Clinically Focused Evidence Synthesis with Therapeutic Implications.Journal of pain research · 2025Review
- The Effectiveness of Acupuncture on Myofascial Trigger Points Versus Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupoints for Treating Plantar Fasciitis With Low Back Pain: A Study Protocol for a Randomised Clinical Trial.Journal of pain research · 2025Article
- Comparing different session regimens of electroacupuncture for chronic plantar fasciitis: Study protocol for a randomized clinical trial.Contemporary clinical trials communications · 2024Article
- Review
- Healthcare usage and cost for plantar fasciitis: a retrospective observational analysis of the 2010-2018 health insurance review and assessment service national patient sample data.BMC health services research · 2023Observational
- A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews on the Epidemiology, Evaluation, and Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- The efficacy of physiotherapy interventions in mitigating the symptoms and complications of diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A systematic review.Journal of diabetes and metabolic disorders · 2020Review
- Article
- Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionPlantar fasciitis is a commonly seen outpatient condition that has numerous treatment modalities of varying degrees of efficacy. This systematic review aimed to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture in reducing pain caused by plantar fasciitis.
methodsOnline literature searches were performed on the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases for studies on the use of acupuncture for pain caused by plantar fasciitis. Studies designed as randomised controlled trials and that compared acupuncture with standard treatments or had real versus sham acupuncture arms were selected. The Delphi list was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies retrieved.
resultsThree studies that compared acupuncture with standard treatment and one study on real versus sham acupuncture were found. These showed that acupuncture significantly reduced pain levels in patients with plantar fasciitis, as measured on the visual analogue scale and the Plantar Fasciitis Pain/Disability Scale. These benefits were noted between four and eight weeks of treatment, with no further significant reduction in pain beyond this duration. Side effects were found to be minimal.
conclusionAlthough acupuncture may reduce plantar fasciitis pain in the short term, there is insufficient evidence for a definitive conclusion regarding its effectiveness in the longer term. Further research is required to strengthen the acceptance of acupuncture among healthcare providers.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.