Management of plantar heel pain: a best practice guide informed by a systematic review, expert clinical reasoning and patient values

Key Points

1. Plantar heel pain can be a chronic condition characterized by first-step pain, pain after weight bearing following periods of rest or pain during weight bearing activities performed for longer duration.

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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

The management of plantar heel pain (PHP) is difficult due to its varying causes and contributing factors, making it challenging to choose the most appropriate intervention (1). Each person experiences PHP in a different manner, and what is effective for one person may not be effective for another. This, along with the lack of quality evidence, can lead to confusion about which interventions are the most effective for PHP and when to use them.

This review aimed to establish a systematic treatment guideline for the management of PHP based on high-quality evidence, expert clinical reasoning and patient experiences.

The management of plantar heel pain is difficult due to its varying causes and contributing factors.

It is important to base treatments on symptom change using patient-reported outcome measures.

METHODS

• This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and screened nine electronic databases and reference lists of relevant studies.

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