Objective: Plantar heel pain and heel spur are common clinical problems. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, local steroid injections and physical therapy modalities are the most commonly used treatment choices. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of laser therapy and local steroid injection in patients who had plantar heel pain, tenderness with palpation and heel spur in lateral ankle X-Rays. 

Materials and Methods: Fifty-four patients were included in this study and were evaluated for the pain intensity and the existence of tenderness with palpation. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used for this purpose. The patients were randomized into two groups; in the laser group (n= 24); Infrared Gallium-Arsenide (Ga-As) laser therapy with 904 nm wavelength was applied for 30 seconds for 10 sessions (5-8), in the injection group (n= 30), patients were treated with local injection of 6.43 mg betamethasone dipropionate and 2.63 mg betamethasone sodium phosphate and 20 mg 2% prilokain. The assessment of pain intensity and tenderness with palpation were made before and 1, 3 and 6 months after the treatment. 

Results: In laser and steroid injection groups, the improvement was observed in pain intensity and in tenderness with palpation at 1st, 3rd and 6th months after application. There was not a statistically significant difference between the values of the two groups at 1st, 3rd and 6 months after treatment.

Conclusion: It was observed that the laser treatment was as effective as local steroid injection in the conservative treatment of epin calcanei, it lasted for 6 months. However our results showed that none of the groups was superior to each other.