Therapeutic effect of infrared polarized light irradiation combined with corticosteroid injection on plantar fasciitis

NI Juanjuan; LIU Lin; ZHAO Dan; MAO Xiaoqing; SUN Li; GAO Minglong

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Medical Journal of the Chinese People Armed Police Forces ›› 2025, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (9) : 742-746.

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Therapeutic effect of infrared polarized light irradiation combined with corticosteroid injection on plantar fasciitis

NI Juanjuan^1,2, LIU Lin², ZHAO Dan¹, MAO Xiaoqing¹, SUN Li³, GAO Minglong²

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Abstract

Objective To explore the effect of infrared polarized light combined with corticosteroid injections on plantar fasciitis (PF). Methods The data of 110 patients with PF admitted to the Pain Management Department of Hainan Hospital of PLA General Hospital from October 2022 to October 2024 were retrospectively analyzed, and the patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment methods: the corticosteroid injection group (Group A) with 56 cases and the infrared polarization light irradiation combined with corticosteroid injection group (Group B) with 54 cases. The visual analogue scale (VAS) and the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society Score (AOFAS) of ankle-hindfoot function before treatment,1 month and 3 months after treatment were observed. Based on the AOFAS score at 3rd month after treatment, a regression model was established to analyze the influencing factors of the therapeutic effect. Results The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of age, gender, affected side unilateral or bilateral, disease duration, occurrence of heel spurs, pre-treatment VAS scores, or pre-treatment AOFAS ankle-hindfoot function scores (P>0.05). The VAS scores and AOFAS scores were significantly improved in both groups after treatment compared with those before treatment (P＜0.01). The VAS scores of Group B at 1st and 3rd month after treatment were noticeably lower than those of Group A (P=0.019, P＜0.01); the AOFAS scores of Group B at 1st month and 3rd month after treatment were noticeably higher than those of Group A (P=0.036,P=0.014). Regression analysis showed that the unilateral or bilateral of the affected foot (P=0.038), the presence or absence of bone spurs (P＜0.001), the pre-treatment VAS score(P=0.008), and the treatment method (P=0.01) might be the influencing factors of the therapeutic effect. Conclusions Compared with simple corticosteroid injection, infrared polarized light irradiation combined with corticosteroid injection has a more significant effect on PF, which can alleviate patients’ pain and has a significant effect on improving foot and ankle function.

Key words

plantar fasciitis / polarized light / corticosteroid / observational study / analysis of influencing factors

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NI Juanjuan, LIU Lin, ZHAO Dan, MAO Xiaoqing, SUN Li, GAO Minglong. Therapeutic effect of infrared polarized light irradiation combined with corticosteroid injection on plantar fasciitis[J]. Medical Journal of the Chinese People Armed Police Forces. 2025, 36(9): 742-746

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