Effect of dorsiflexion night splints in treatment of plantar fasciitis

Background: Plantar fasciitis (PF) is an overuse injury causing inflammation at the origin of the plantar fascia and surrounding perifascial structures, such as the calcaneal periosteum, which affects about 10% of the population at least in one moment in life. Successful treatment of plantar fasciitis usually requires a combination of treatment modalities, rather than administering only one treatment at a time. This study is aimed to examine the effect of dorsiflexion night splints with ultrasound therapy and exercises in the management of plantar fasciitis. Methodology: 12 subjects of both genders, with mean ± SD age of 46.08 ± 3.82 years were selected on the basis of selection criteria. The subjects were under a structured 6 weeks exercise program, dorsi flexion night splint and ultra sound therapy for each day for 6-days a week. Result: There is statistically significant reduction in foot functional score index measures and improvement in range of motion of ankle joint with p value less than 0.05 after 6 weeks of supervised exercise program. Conclusion: The results of the present study, suggest that dorsiflexion night splints with ultrasound therapy and exercise are effective for plantar fasciitis.