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Sharon Yong
Regular member
33 Posts |
 Posted - 10/10/2005 : 23:23:30
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Dear Doctors,
I need your opinion. A friend has been diagnosed with this condition-plantar fasciitis. Her doctor says there is this new treatment whereby her blood is taken and injected into the problem area. It seems that by doing so, it stimulates the problem area into healing itself...something like that. She doesn't seem to be able to get much info from her doctor so I'm helping out. Questions:
1. What is this treatment called? I've tried searching for 'autologous blood' etc but can't seem to find any info. I'd appreciate any info I can get on this. Thanks.
2. The doctor said this treatment is actually still under study so doen't charge her for it. Er...isn't that a bit risky? What are the possible side effects?
I'd appreciate any kind of info on this treatment if possible. I hope I 've not breached any regulations here. I just need more info on the treatment, no names right? Thanks.
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palmdoc
MMR CEO
Blogger
Malaysia
2033 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2005 : 06:26:44
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I haven't heard of this treatment and really don't understand the rational of injecting one's own blood into the lesion. Not aware of any current clinical trials either. Injections for plantar fasciitis usually involve corticosteroids.
If this is experimental treatment, I hope it is in a setting of a teaching hospital or institution where there is a proper clinical trial protocol designed and this has been approved by an ethics committee.
Some useful links:
Plantar fasciitis - nice review from eMedicine
Current Clinical trials in Plantar fasciitis (in the US)
Plantar Fasciitis: A Common Cause of Heel Pain (from familydoctor.org): simple review for patients
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Sharon Yong
Regular member
33 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2005 : 20:12:03
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Thanks but oh dear...this is making me worried. I'm not sure if the hospital has all the 'requirements' you mentioned. How do we make sure?
The problem with us laymen is that we dont dare doubt doctors much less question them!
Anyway, I found this website and the treatment sounds similar to what my friend is undergoing. Does it help?
http://www.athletesperformance.com/spj/article.php?id=123
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palmdoc
MMR CEO
Blogger
Malaysia
2033 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2005 : 21:07:45
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There may be something in it after all. Further Googling reveals this:
Autologous Blood Injection for Plantar Fasciitis: A Retrospective Study.
Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 15(5):387-388, September 2005.
Martin, Robert P MD, CDR, MC, USN; DiBlasi, Johnny ATC
- but no full text so don't know the contents of the article
Somehow Google found this whereas Pubmed didn't! Strange but lookout for a related MMR blogpost tomorrow ;)
But it would be in the realm of experimental therapy I think.
Doctors don't know everything (surprise, surprise) and patients should not hesitate to ask questions if they have doubts. But it's best to read up too so the questions are relevant and it makes life easier for the doctor. |
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yyyap
Regular member
38 Posts |
Posted - 12/10/2005 : 17:52:59
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Amazing! What intrigues me is what drove these investigators to even try such a method.
I used to have very bad PF which required a steroid injection. It went away for awhile but came back after a few months. It was only with considerable weight loss that my PF has disappeared.
Custom-made shoe padding also works and the rehab people in UM are particularly good at that, I hear. |
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palmdoc
MMR CEO
Blogger
Malaysia
2033 Posts |
Posted - 12/10/2005 : 19:38:09
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| Actually I do have PF myself and find the Scholl's silicon heelpad/arch support helpful. I guess it's an occupational hazard. I wear out 1 pair of leather shoes a year. |
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Sharon Yong
Regular member
33 Posts |
Posted - 17/10/2005 : 23:24:27
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Err...does it mean that you think my friend should go for this treatment? i.e. be a guinea pig?
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drxujun
Just lurking
Malaysia
23 Posts |
Posted - 18/10/2005 : 22:44:33
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Autologous Blood Injection for Plantar Fasciitis: A Retrospective Study
Robert P. Martin MD, CDR, MC, USN and Johnny DiBlasi, ATC
Presenter: Robert P. Martin, MD
Affiliation: Naval Branch Health Clinic, Mayport Naval Station, Mayport, FL
Purpose: Autologous blood injection has recently been shown to have dramatic benefits for tendonosis involving the lateral epicondyle. The purpose of the study is to examine the results of plantar fasciitis treated with autologous blood injection.
Methods: Sixteen patients with plantar fasciitis were offered autologous blood injection after other conservative measures had been tried. The patients surveyed had plantar fascia pain duration ranging from 3 months to 5 years with average 1.79 years. Fifty-six percent had tried orthotics, 94% physical therapy, 63% night splints, and 50% at least 1 steroid injection. All patients were instructed to stop NSAIDs for 2 weeks prior to injection. A bolus of 1 mL Lidocaine and 2 mL blood was injected where the plantar fascia was most tender. Patients rated their pain (0-10) and Nirschl staging (0-7) at least 4 weeks after injection.
Results: Prior to injection, 15 of 16 patients reported pain with light activities of daily living and exercise was not possible (Nirschl 6 or greater). After autologous blood injection, the average pain severity scale decreased from 7.13 to 2.75. The average Nirschl activity staging scale decreased from 6.19 to 2.88. Ten of 16 patients (62%) were able to resume strenuous activity. Seven of these 10 (70%) that returned to strenuous activity could do so without pain. Three of the 16 (19%) surveyed reported no response to blood injection.
Conclusions: Autologous blood injection for plantar fasciitis is a safe, simple, and inexpensive office procedure that offers dramatic results in many patients who have failed other treatments. Further large-scale prospective studies would help develop treatment protocols for this promising new treatment option.
Several issues come to my mind:
1. The numbers treated were very small. Cannot be subjected to statistical analysis.
2. No controls were enrolled.
3. This is an open, non-randomised study. No placebo was used.
4. All patients were injected with a local anaesthetic at the most tender point.
5. What is the period of follow-up ?
6. Pain is a very subjective symptom.
Nevertheless this is an intersting study that should spur further research. |
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Winston
Regular member
82 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2006 : 23:06:06
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quote:
Originally posted by palmdoc
There may be something in it after all. Further Googling reveals this:
Autologous Blood Injection for Plantar Fasciitis: A Retrospective Study.
Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 15(5):387-388, September 2005.
Martin, Robert P MD, CDR, MC, USN; DiBlasi, Johnny ATC
- but no full text so don't know the contents of the article
Somehow Google found this whereas Pubmed didn't! Strange but lookout for a related MMR blogpost tomorrow ;)
But it would be in the realm of experimental therapy I think.
Doctors don't know everything (surprise, surprise) and patients should not hesitate to ask questions if they have doubts. But it's best to read up too so the questions are relevant and it makes life easier for the doctor.
Well said. But try questioning our docs and you'll get the remark "Are you the doc or am I?"
There may be exceptions to this but they are not the norm because our docs like to treat their patients like ignoramus. They don't seem to realise that nowadays patients are much better informed than their forebears! |
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palmdoc
MMR CEO
Blogger
Malaysia
2033 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2006 : 05:19:01
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| That sounds much more like old school medicine. On the contrary I think most modern medical practice will encourage informed patients. However there is a difference between informed patients and opinionated patients. The latter have their own fixed ideas and can't/won't listen to others, including their docs! |
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Plantar fasciitis
