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Does your first step in the morning send a shock of pain throughout your foot? Fight fire with fire — shockwave therapy can alleviate the excruciating pain of plantar fasciitis. Here’s how it works.
Shockwave therapy could be your new ally against plantar fasciitis pain.
When your feet hurt, you hurt all over, something you know from firsthand experience if you’re dealing with plantar fasciitis. It’s a pesky and painful foot condition that’s tough to resolve on your own.
When you need help with foot problems, call Dr. Matthew Cerniglia, one of the nation’s top ankle and foot surgeons and our lead podiatrist at Ankle and Foot Institute of Texas. He specializes in diagnosing and treating complex foot and ankle problems, including plantar fasciitis.
Here, he explains an innovative treatment that’s been making waves (literally) in the medical world — shockwave therapy.
The 411 on plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is when the plantar fascia, a band of tissue at the bottom of your foot, rebels against activity (or inactivity) and becomes inflamed, usually because you’ve overstretched or overused it. Runners, people carrying extra weight, and folks who wear unsupportive shoes are more likely to have this problem.
The aftermath? A sharp, stabbing pain in your heel that makes getting out of bed feel like you’re stepping on needles.
Often, traditional treatments like rest, ice, stretching, and over-the-counter pain meds can help soothe your symptoms. But they’re often like putting a Band-Aid® on a wound that needs stitches — they don’t get to the root of the problem.
What shockwave therapy can do
Shockwave therapy steps in like a superhero to save your feet from plantar fasciitis pain. It’s a noninvasive treatment that uses pressure waves to kickstart your body’s natural healing process. Imagine it as a wake-up call for your cells, telling them to return to work and repair the damage in your plantar fascia.
The therapy sends shockwaves (don’t panic — they’re just sound waves) into the painful area. This stimulation causes micro-traumas to your tissues, boosting blood flow, triggering cell regeneration, reducing inflammation, and speeding up healing.
Studies like one published in The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery in 2018 show that people who undergo shockwave therapy see a significant improvement in their pain and functionality compared to those who try traditional treatments alone.
However, don’t base your decision only on faceless people in clinical studies — read what our patients say about shockwave therapy and Dr. Cerniglia’s expertise.
The benefits of shockwave therapy don’t stop at plantar fasciitis. This innovative technology can also treat Morton’s neuroma and many types of tendonitis, such as Achilles, peroneal, and posterior tibial.
Your next steps
Everyone’s different, and what works for one person might not work for another. But given its success rate and noninvasive approach, shockwave therapy could be the light at the end of the tunnel for your battle with plantar fasciitis pain.
If you’re tired of plantar fasciitis holding you back and want to resolve your pain faster, it might be time to consider shockwave therapy. Talk with Dr. Cerniglia about whether it could help you. Request an appointment online or call Ankle and Foot Institute of Texas in Saginaw, Texas, today.