Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy on Plantar Fasciitis in Patients With Peripheral Neuropathy

May 12, 2026 updated by: National Taiwan University Hospital

Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis in Patients With Peripheral Neuropathy: A Clinical Evaluation

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in reducing pain and improving functional outcomes for patients with neuropathy-associated plantar fasciitis.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain in clinical practice, accounting for approximately 80% of patients presenting with heel pain. Common clinical presentations include unilateral or bilateral foot pain, particularly upon weight-bearing after a period of rest, such as the first steps in the morning. Some patients may also report associated paresthesia, tingling, or a burning sensation. Notably, a considerable number of patients with peripheral neuropathy (PN) also present with coexisting plantar fasciitis. The proposed pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neuropathy-associated plantar fasciitis include progressive degeneration of the plantar fascia due to chronic somatosensory deficits, thickening of the plantar fascia secondary to metabolic syndromes such as diabetic neuropathy, and the loss of foot intrinsic muscle support due to motor nerve involvement. Conventional treatments for plantar fasciitis include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), local corticosteroid injections, and custom orthotics; however, these interventions exhibit significant limitations. While NSAIDs may provide temporary analgesia, their long-term utility is limited by systemic risks, particularly gastrointestinal complications. Local corticosteroid injections effectively reduce inflammation and provide acute symptom relief; however, they carry a risk of plantar fascia rupture, rendering repeated administration clinically unfavorable. Orthotic insoles redistribute biomechanical loading across the foot to reduce mechanical stress; however, they are primarily compensatory and do not facilitate tissue regeneration or fundamental repair of the chronic lesion. Given these limitations in conventional treatments, this study aims to evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in reducing pain and improving functional outcomes for patients with neuropathy-associated plantar fasciitis. The investigators will assess the effects of ESWT on the pathophysiological mechanism of the neuropathic foot to alleviate the symptoms of plantar fasciitis in participants with peripheral neuropathy. Findings of the investigation aim to validate the clinical application of non-invasive ESWT for this population, thereby enhancing their functional independence and health-related quality of life.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

114

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18 or older and 90 or younger.
  • Ability to give informed consent.
  • Presence of peripheral neuropathy, confirmed by clinical symptoms, nerve
  • conduction study, autonomic function test, quantitative sensory test, or skin biopsy.
  • Plantar fasciitis presenting as (1) heel pain persisting for more than 3 months, most noticeable with initial steps after a period of inactivity, but also worse following prolonged weight-bearing, and (2) pain with palpation of the proximal insertion of the plantar fascia.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of severe systemic diseases, including severe ischemic heart disease or congestive heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction < 30%), severe lung diseases with dyspnea, severe generalized edema, uncontrolled diabetes, and systemic infection.
  • Presence of severe peripheral vascular disease.
  • Presence of an implanted cardiac pacemaker, deep brain stimulator, or metallic implants (for example, internal fixation plates, screws, etc.) within the affected foot or ankle.
  • Presence of ruptured or pre-ruptured tendons in the target area. A diagnostic softtissue ultrasound of the plantar foot will be performed to assess tissue integrity if any of the following clinical red flags are identified: localized soft-tissue swelling or ecchymosis; physical examination findings indicative of a loss of continuity or tension in the plantar fascia; a history of local corticosteroid injection within the past 12 months; or a history of surgical intervention involving the affected foot.
  • Complete loss of vibration and pinprick sensation at the target area due to neuropathy, or the presence of severe mechanical allodynia (pain evoked by friction or pressure) at the target area with an intensity score of 8 or higher on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents the most severe pain.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Coagulation disorders (including localized thrombosis in the target area).
  • Patients currently receiving anticoagulant therapy.
  • Presence of localized tumors or active bacterial and/or viral infections in the target area.
  • Patients who have received corticosteroid injections within the past 6 weeks in the target area.
  • Inability to give informed consent.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)
Participants of the study will receive real or sham ESWT during the study period
Device: Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive treatment for plantar fasciitis, using acoustic waves to stimulate healing. Participants enrolled in the study will receive real or sham ESWT.
Other Names:
  • shockwave

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Visual analogue scale of pain
Time Frame: VAS scores will be recorded before and after each ESWT session, as well as two weeks post-intervention. Long-term follow-up evaluations will be conducted at 12 weeks and 12 months following the final treatment.
The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) will be used to assess pain intensity, with scores ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (maximal unbearable pain).
VAS scores will be recorded before and after each ESWT session, as well as two weeks post-intervention. Long-term follow-up evaluations will be conducted at 12 weeks and 12 months following the final treatment.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

National Taiwan University Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

May 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2031

Study Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2032

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 29, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 12, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 12, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 202602044DINE

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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