[Plantar fasciitis and extracorporeal shock wave therapy--essence, diagnosis and treatment methods].

Heel pain is a very common foot complaint, usually caused by inflammation at the origin of the plantar fascia in the heel, termed plantar fasciitis (PF). The diagnosis is based on patient history and physical examination. Treatment of PF is mainly conservative. In recent years, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for a variety of orthopedic pathologies has become more acceptable and is increasing in popularity. Treating PF with ESWT is effective and should be considered before steroid injections and definitely prior to surgical intervention.