infection, rupture of the plantar fascia, and failure to improve the pain. Coblation surgery has recently been proposed as an alternative surgical approach for the treatment of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis. Unproven treatments Botulinum toxin A injections as well as similar techniques such as platelet-rich plasma injections and prolotherapy remain controversial. Dry needling is also being researched for treatment of plantar fasciitis. A systematic review of available research found limited evidence of effectiveness for this technique. The studies were reported to be inadequate in quality and too diverse in methodology to enable reaching a firm conclusion. Epidemiology Plantar fasciitis is the most common type of plantar fascia injury and is the most common reason for heel pain, responsible for 80% of cases. The condition tends to occur more often in women, military recruits, older athletes, dancers, people with obesity, and young male athletes. Plantar fasciitis is estimated to affect 1 in 10 people at some point during their lifetime and most commonly affects people between 40 and 60 years of age. In the United States alone, more than two million people receive treatment for plantar fasciitis. The cost of treating plantar fasciitis in the United States is estimated to be $284 million each year. References Further reading External links Articles containing video clips Disorders of fascia Foot diseases Fasciitis, plantar Overuse injuries Wikipedia emergency medicine articles ready to translate Soft tissue disorders Wikipedia medicine articles ready to translate