Shockwave Therapy for Heel Pain
If you’re dealing with heel pain or plantar fasciitis, then it’s very difficult to walk and perform your daily tasks. In fact, even the simplest tasks that require movement will be associated with excruciating pain, and that will limit your capabilities and things you can do. That’s where shockwave therapy for heel pain can be a very good idea.
What shockwave therapy does is it relies on soundwaves in order to stimulate healing. It’s particularly good for Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis or any similar type of heel pain. Soundwaves will help improve the bloodflow, and that can enhance, but also speed up the healing process as a whole.
How does shockwave therapy for heel pain work?
- – The entire process is very simple. A dedicated machine is used in order to apply soundwaves to the skin’s surface.
- – That machine’s probe is used to target a certain area, usually the area that causes a lot of pain.
- – Once the sound waves are generated, they will spread into the tissue and go outwards. What happens is the soundwaves increase the bloodflow. Your body will speed up the healing process, and you will also feel a lot better.
The advantage of going for shockwave therapy is that it will end up removing a lot of the pain that you are currently facing. Not only that, but it encourages your body to heal a lot faster. And, according to research, it’s very efficient. You can see progressive improvements, without dealing with any major side effects. That encourages everyone to not only give shockwave therapy a try, but also stick with it for more than one treatment.
Who is shockwave therapy for?
Most of the time, everyone dealing with heel pain should consider trying shockwave therapy. However, this therapy is particularly good for people that didn’t respond well to other treatments. If you tried ice therapy, steroid injections, orthotics or physiotherapy and none of them worked, shockwave therapy might be the answer.
That’s because shockwave therapy is offering you immediate relief. On top of that, it will help alleviate the pain for quite a long time. And it also helps your body recover and repair its tissues at the same time. It’s still important to talk with your doctor beforehand. The doctor will let you know if your current health status allows the use of shockwave therapy, or if there are any other treatments to try out.
Is there anything you can do to prepare for shockwave therapy?
If the doctor cleared you for shockwave therapy, then there are a few things you can do to prepare for it. Ideally, you don’t want to take any NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) around 2 weeks before the procedure. It’s important to check any medication you are currently taking and see if it has any NSAIDs. Also, you can wear comfortable clothing, there’s no need for any specific clothing pieces in order to undertake the shockwave therapy treatment.
Is shockwave therapy painful?
It always depends on how bad your current heel pain really is and what causes it. For the most part, you might experience some pain during the shockwave therapy procedure, that’s normal and something you will encounter. Thankfully, the shockwave power can be adjusted depending on how much pain you feel. That way, it’s not going to hurt as bad and you will still be ok. In severe cases, a local anesthetic might be necessary, but for the most part it won’t hurt that much or at all.
When you think about shockwave therapy, the first thing that comes to mind is that your body automatically reacts to it. Yes, you will feel your body responding to this extremely fast. What happens is your body will break down any calcifications find in your foot, boost the cell permeability and that can help with the healing process.
Another thing that shockwave therapy does is it encourages your body to create new blood vessels. That brings more nutrition and blood to the inflamed area. And, of course, the body will automatically target the nerve endings and hyperstimulate them, which means you will be feeling less pain.
Is shockwave therapy an invasive procedure?
No, shockwave therapy is designed to be a very safe and non-invasive procedure. In fact, what it does is it allows you to alleviate heel pain, while also making it easy to feel better. According to this study, shockwave therapy has a great chance of success, with up to 80% feeling positive results from the therapy process.
That’s also doubled down by another study which clearly shows how much it can help against muscle pain in particular. Even if you choose shockwave therapy, it’s still a good idea to make some lifestyle changes. Avoiding any activities that cause foot pain is mandatory, and you also want to use walking boots or crutches, as needed. Even simple changes like these can help reduce pain, and they will speed up the healing process!
What are the pros and cons for shockwave therapy?
Like any other therapy, shockwave therapy also has its own pros and cons. It’s important to talk with a medical professional and perform your due diligence if possible. That will make it easy to understand how to tackle heel pain efficiently, while also understanding if this treatment is suitable for you or not.
Pros
- – One of the best things about shockwave therapy is that, in most cases, it will provide immediate relief. That relief can end up lasting for a long time.
- – There’s no need for a very complex, long preparation process. The same thing is valid when it comes to recovery, you just need to take a few hours off and let your body heal.
- – It’s a procedure that has been tested for a long time, and studies show it’s safe.
- – The chances of dealing with complications are very low.
- – You don’t have to deal with surgery, since it’s a non-invasive procedure.
Cons
- – While it works for a lot of people, it won’t be for everyone.
- – In some cases, it might take multiple sessions until you see results.
- – There are some minor complications, like numbness, bruising or temporary pain.
- – It’s not covered by insurance companies, although that might depend on the situation.
How much does shockwave therapy cost?
The price of shockwave therapy will vary from one practitioner to another. It also depends on whether you are just getting the regular therapy, or you combine it with another package. But on average, the full course of shockwave over the 5-7 week period will end up costing you between $500 to $700, either more or less depending on the practitioner.
The exact cost will vary based on your location, how many sessions you need, if your insurance company will cover these costs, but also the intensity of the treatment. It’s a good idea to talk with a practitioner beforehand and ask for a quote. Not only will that help you save time, but you can also narrow down the ideal treatment that fits your needs.
Conclusion
As you can see, shockwave therapy for heel pain can be extremely efficient, and it’s not very painful either. In fact, it’s one of the best methods that you can use to alleviate your current heel pain. It’s very dependable, but you should talk with a medical professional first. Our team at The Foot Force Podiatry is here to deliver state of the art shockwave therapy solutions at amazing prices. Don’t hesitate and book an appointment with us today, we’ll help alleviate your heel pain in no time! Book an initial biomechanics assessment to find out whether this is an appropriate treatment for you.
Dr. Fatima Al-Kathmi (Podiatrist)
