Conquering Your Heel Pain or Plantar Fasciitis
If you experience intense heel pain or tendonitis, you’re not alone. In fact, more than a million individuals develop it every year. Called Plantar Fasciitis, if left unaddressed, it can result in a broad range of other health conditions, including chronic, debilitating back pain. Read below to learn more about the causes and symptoms of heel pain and Plantar Fasciitis and how to finally conquer it with the help of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT), which we provide here at HealthLogicMD.
Call Us: 720.446.5190 Schedule an AppointmentCauses & Symptoms & Treatment
Causes of Heel Pain or Plantar Fasciitis
Heel pain, called Plantar Fasciitis, is one of the most common forms of muscular-skeletal conditions. Aerobic dance, ballet dancing, long-distance running, and other physical activities that place stress on your heel and attached tissue can cause it. Other causes include obesity and simply being on your feet, particularly on hard surfaces for extended periods, which is why it is common for bartenders, factory workers, restaurant workers, and teachers, among others. It is the result of extensive stress or small tears on the bowstring shaped plantar fascia, which helps support the arch of your foot to absorb any shocks when you walk.
Symptoms of Heel Pain or Plantar fasciitis
Pain at the bottom of your foot near the heel typically develops gradually over time. It is commonly the most severe after being off your feet for an extended period, such as when you wake up in the morning to get out of bed. Climbing stairs can become harder. The pain typically disappears during physical activity, such as exercise, but returns after it due to increased inflammation. It can be sharp or dull. You could feel a burning or even a stabbing sensation. You might feel the pain at the bottom of the heel or at the bottom of the midfoot. You can develop this condition in just one foot or both feet at the same time.
Treatment of Heel Pain or Plantar fasciitis
Your first step is resting the foot, icing, using braces, and taking anti-inflammatory medications for mild pain. If these steps don’t work, your doctor, during an office visit, could administer a corticosteroid injection into the ligament’s damaged area. Your doctor might also have you apply topical corticosteroids to the area above the skin. Physical therapy to help you help stretch your plantar fascia and other tendons should also be part of the treatment routine. If the pain does not go away or becomes chronic, you might be a candidate for extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT). Requiring 6 to 10 treatment, each 10-15 minutes long, ESWT has been clinically proven effective in treating heel tendonitis. It does so by promoting collagen synthesis and tissue modeling, among other benefits. With the procedure, you simply relax on a treatment bench and, after an application of a local anesthetic onto the affected area to reduce any pain, high energy shock waves are applied above the skin to the area, which should provide immediate relief. A final option is surgery. With it, the heel bone is partially detached from the plantar fascia. ESWT, however, often eliminates the risk factors associated with needing surgery and allows people to get back to their normal life.
Causes of Heel Pain or Plantar Fasciitis
Heel pain, called Plantar Fasciitis, is one of the most common forms of muscular-skeletal conditions. Aerobic dance, ballet dancing, long-distance running, and other physical activities that place stress on your heel and attached tissue can cause it. Other causes include obesity and simply being on your feet, particularly on hard surfaces for extended periods, which is why it is common for bartenders, factory workers, restaurant workers, and teachers, among others. It is the result of extensive stress or small tears on the bowstring shaped plantar fascia, which helps support the arch of your foot to absorb any shocks when you walk.
Take the first step to regaining your pain-free lifestyle
Learn About Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT)
ESWT was first introduced in 1982 as a way to dissolve urinary stones, so they could pass less painfully. However, as medical studies progressed, ESWT was found to be an effective treatment for tendonitis and other soft-tissue conditions. ESWT treatment promotes collagen synthesis and tissue modeling, among other benefits, which improve the chances for a complete recovery for musculoskeletal pain conditions without the need for surgery.
More about ESWT
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy gets its name, because shock waves, a type of sound wave, are delivered to the injured tissue “extracorporeally,” which means above the skin. The shock wave device delivers impulses to the affected area, which stimulate blood flow, relax muscles in spasm, and stimulate tissue repair. Immediate pain relief is achieved upon the 1st treatment in most cases, while 6-10 treatments are usually required for complete recovery.
ESWT is commonly used in the treatment of a wide variety of musculoskeletal conditions. If you suffer from chronic pain in the Achilles tendon, elbow, knee, plantar fascia, shoulder, or other parts of your body, you might be a candidate for ESWT.
Call Us: 720.446.5190 Schedule an In-Office ConsultationMeet the Team
Dr. Inna Trey MD
Family Medicine & Hormonal Health
Dr. Trey is Family Medicine Board Certified and is certified by BioTE Medical for Hormone Optimization. Dr. Trey’s goal for every patient is to treat the root cause of their ailment, rather than just mask the symptoms with prescription medication. In her spare time, Dr. Trey loves to go on adventures with her husband, 2 kids and the family dog.
Vanessa Flores, MA
Practice Manager and Medical Assistant
Vanessa is a Colorado native and is a Medical Assistant with over 13 years of experience. Vanessa is treats every patient like they are family, and you can always count on a smile when you talk to her. Vanessa is mother to 4 functional kids, so you know she can keep calm during those busy days.