Heel Pain
Although a common problem, heel pain occurs in many different
forms. Plantar heel pain (located on the bottom of the heel) is the most common
and is usually plantar fasciitis.
Symptoms: pain on first step after sitting or resting, a dull throb throughout the day, and relief when getting off of it. Additional Symptoms.
Treatment: Home treatments include rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medications, and stretching. Many times this resolves the symptoms. If not, evaluation in our office for the underlying cause and then a comprehensive treatment plan can definitely help. Things such as night splints, injections, physical therapy, and orthotics (custom supports) are typically used. Additional resources can be found on the Mayo Clinic website.
There are several new treatments that can be used if these are not successful in resolving plantar fasciitis. Our office offers various treatments ranging from ACP, shockwave therapy, and ultrasonic wand treatments.
- ACP is short for Autologous Conditioned Plasma. It is a process where a patient’s blood is drawn and the platelets are then spun down and injected into a specific injured area. The goal is to stimulate healing with the patient’s own cells.
- Shockwave is the use of an ultrasound unit that creates micro trauma at the site of maximum pain. The idea is to stimulate the body to recognize the injured area and then start the healing process.
- Ultrasonic wand is similar to shockwave but more invasive. Under anesthesia, the wand is placed into the ligament in a grid fashion and then turned on at certain intervals to create a micro trauma to the area. These new techniques give the patient with longstanding heel pain a much better chance of resolving their symptoms and returning to pain-free activity.
Stuart Cardon, DPM
