Treating Plantar Fasciitis with Radial Shockwave Therapy
Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition of the foot that can affect your mobility. Fortunately, there are effective treatment options available, including radial shockwave therapy. This is a commonly used, FDA-approved technology that accelerates the healing of the soft tissues, including the plantar fascia.
Taking a Closer Look at Plantar Fasciitis
The plantar fascia of your foot is a thick band of tissue. It extends from the heel to the toes along the bottom of the foot. If you’ve been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, it means this band of tissue has become inflamed. Additionally, the fascia can develop small tears.
People with plantar fasciitis experience a sharp, stabbing pain in the heel that is typically worse upon awakening or after long periods of standing. The pain may worsen upon standing after sitting for a while. Typically, patients report worse pain after a workout, not during it.
If left untreated, plantar fasciitis can lead to chronic pain. Due to changes in a person’s walking pattern to compensate for the pain, knee, hip, or back problems may develop. It’s important to seek treatment at a medicine clinic promptly to prevent these complications.
Understanding How Radial Shockwave Therapy Works
It can take a long time for plantar fasciitis to heal, as the plantar fascia is located in a part of the body that doesn’t typically receive a great deal of blood flow. As such, it can benefit from therapies designed to accelerate the healing process.
Radial shockwave therapy involves the targeted delivery of energy waves to the damaged tissue. This stimulates the body’s natural healing process. Among other things, it triggers the production of new cells to replace the old, weak, or damaged cells. In addition, the shockwave therapy decreases the inflammation and stimulates the production of collagen, which is crucial for the health of connective tissues.
Not only is radial shockwave therapy effective for rapid pain relief, it also provides results that last. One scientific study evaluated patients with plantar fasciitis who had received radial shockwave therapy. One year after undergoing the therapy, the patients sustained their results, demonstrating “statistically significant improvement in pain and functional capacity.”
While radial shockwave therapy is commonly used for plantar fasciitis, it can also help other painful conditions. These include calcific tendonitis, tennis elbow, shin splints, and others.
Undergoing Radial Shockwave Therapy
Radial shockwave therapy is nonsurgical, delivers rapid pain relief and long-term results, and does not require any downtime. Plus, some patients have this therapy along with PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy for optimal results. (PRP injections stimulate healing and regenerate tissue.)
Each treatment session can be completed in a matter of minutes. The provider will examine the area to be treated and then apply gentle pressure to move the applicator over the skin. Topical gel is used to maximize the effect.
Radial Shockwave Therapy in Columbus, GA
At West Georgia Medicine, our mission isn’t just to reduce pain and heal our patients; we also focus on preventing injuries from recurring. Our highly skilled practitioners use a combination of therapeutic and preventive treatment modalities, including radial shockwave therapy, PRP, and many more. Contact us in Columbus, GA at (706) 507-3800 to request an appointment. New patients are always welcome!
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Chiropractic
Radial Shockwave Therapy
