Impact of chronic plantar fasciitis on work-related activity

Abstract

Objective: Compare the real need for rest of chronic plantar fasciitis patients with the leave of absence time and criteria used by national and international technical medical expert examination manuals. Methods: We conducted a review of the medical literature from 2013 to 2018, selecting only randomized controlled clinical trials on the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis. National and international medical expert examination manuals were also selected. The treatment time for chronic plantar fasciitis was then compared with the leave of absence time recommended by the manuals. Results: Of the six articles selected, we ascertained that three articles evaluating second-line treatment managed to reduce the VAS by 60% after 4 weeks, one after 3 months, one after 6 months, and one that showed no improvement at all. In all studies, no control group receiving first-line treatment alone achieved a 60% reduction in the VAS during the follow-up period. The evaluated manuals recommend leave from work ranging from zero to 21 days, with only two using the criterion of the type of work performed by the employee for the expert decision. Conclusion: We observed that none of the medical expert examination manuals provides support for the medical expert to grant leave to workers with chronic plantar fasciitis from their work-related activities to receive secondary treatment for at least four weeks. In addition, stratification by acute or chronic disease is not observed. Two manuals scale leave time by type of activity. Level of Evidence III; Economic and Decision Analyses; Analyses Based on Limited Costs and Alternatives.