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@article{206440,
        author = {Aishwarya P Shinde and Shantanu S Kshirsagar and Tanvi B Bhujbal and Nidhi Shetty and Rushikesh S Patil and Siddhi P Patrekar},
        title = {Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy vs Corticosteroid Injections for Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {2},
        pages = {1554-1561},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=206440},
        abstract = {Background: Chronic plantar fasciitis is a major source of musculoskeletal foot disability. Non-operative interventions like extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and local corticosteroid injections (CSI) are highly used but debate persists regarding long-term comparative profiles. Objective: To systematically review and meta-analyze randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating ESWT vs. CSI for chronic plantar fasciitis. Methods: Electronic databases were systematically searched from inception to May 2026 for RCTs comparing ESWT with CSI in adults with chronic plantar fasciitis (>3 months). Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool. Primary outcomes included the visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores and functional instruments (AOFAS, FFI). Results: Fifteen high-quality RCTs comprising 1,324 patients met full eligibility rules. At short-term follow-up (1 month), CSI demonstrated superior pain attenuation compared to ESWT (p < 0.01). At 3 months, no significant difference was observed. At long-term follow-up (6–12 months), ESWT achieved significantly lower pain scores and superior functional restoration compared to CSI (p < 0.001). Major structural complications consisting of fascial rupture and fat pad atrophy occurred exclusively in the CSI cohort. Conclusion: While CSI offers fast short-term pain relief, ESWT provides statistically superior and clinically durable long-term relief and functional improvement with an enhanced safety layout.},
        keywords = {Plantar fasciitis; Extracorporeal shockwave therapy; Corticosteroid injection; Systematic review; RoB 2.},
        month = {July},
        }