Shockwave Therapy For Heel Pain

Overview

Pain beneath the heel bone is an extremely common and debilitating condition. In our modern society, with its unyielding artificial floors, occupations that demand long hours of standing, and shoes of ill-design, it’s no wonder that heel pain is one of the most common foot complaints that we receive at A Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Center.

There are many causes of heel pain including trauma, plantar fasciitis, heel tumors, stress fractures, bursitis, gout, arthritis, diabetes, and strain due to standing and walking improperly. Are you unsure of what is causing your heel pain, or are looking for different heel pain treatment options? Contact your local podiatrist at A Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Center today!

People with heel pain usually complain of a stone bruise. The most frequent symptom is that of pain in the morning with the first few steps. This is due to inflammation around the ligament on the bottom of the heel. The most common cause of this type of heel pain is faulty foot function, which causes a rubbing or stretching of the ligament. This is referred to as plantar fasciitis or heel spur syndrome.

If you should be bothered by any or all of the symptoms mentioned above, the first step in heel pain treatment can be tried at home. Often, relief can be attained by:

  1. Padding the heel with a soft, foam-rubber material.
  2. Wearing supportive shoes with a thick rubber heel.
  3. Placing ice against the bottom of the heel to reduce swelling.
  4. Stretching the calf muscles.

If these home remedies fail to relieve your heel pain, it is time to consult your local podiatrist at A Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Center. A careful medical history, a complete clinical examination of your feet, and sometimes x-rays are used to determine the cause and appropriate heel pain treatment.

Treatment of the heel-spur syndrome or plantar fasciitis is two-fold. First, the inflammation responsible for the discomfort needs to be reduced, and secondly, the abnormal motion of the foot needs to be controlled. Reduction of the inflammation can sometimes be accomplished simply by reducing the amount of motion. This can be achieved temporarily with taping or strapping the feet.

If symptoms resolve fairly quickly, then many times no further treatment is needed unless there is another flare-up. Oral anti-inflammatory medications are often helpful in reducing this inflammation, and occasionally an injection of local anesthesia and cortisone into the inflamed area is needed to calm it down.

Controlling the abnormal motion is the key to preventing recurrence of this syndrome, and the most effective means of doing this is with the use of functional orthotic inserts.

When the condition has existed for so long that these methods of treatment fail to resolve the symptoms, surgical treatment is sometimes necessary to provide permanent relief. Fortunately, on October 12, 2000, the US Food & Drug Administration granted approval to market the OssaTron. The OssaTron is a new device that uses shockwave therapy to treat chronic heel pain. This is a 15 minute procedure that allows you to walk in your regular shoes immediately after the procedure and has over a 70% success rate.

Do you suffer from heel pain? Contact A Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Center today to learn about heel pain exercises and other heel pain treatments like shockwave therapy!

ASA Treatment Facilities

The physicians and staff of the A Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Centers maintain two complete podiatric clinical facilities, and provide 24-hour emergency service. We participate in most health plans including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Medicare, and Medicaid. We complete and file all necessary insurance forms and make every effort to assure you of maximum benefits with minimum out-of-pocket expenses.

Contact Us Today!

Our mission at A Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Center is to keep your feet happy and healthy. When you are experiencing constant heel pain, you aren’t able to enjoy doing the things you love in life. Let our foot specialists treat your heel pain and get you back to doing what you love! Contact A Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Center today!

Request An Appointment

  • Do not fill this form out if you're a solicitor.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.