How Can Shockwave Therapy Help Heel Pain?

If you have a long-standing foot problem, such as plantar fasciitis or heel spurs, then you might not get immediate relief even with the expert help of your podiatrist. In some cases, your podiatrist might recommend that you add shockwave therapy to your treatment program.

How does this therapy work and how will it help?

What Is Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave therapy uses low-energy sound waves to target areas of the body. The sound waves are delivered through the skin via a specialist device.

During a treatment session, your podiatrist puts some ultrasound gel on the target area. They then put the application device on the skin and turn it on. The gel and device work together to deliver shockwaves down inside your foot.

These shockwaves create energy impulses in the affected area. The impulses encourage damaged tissue to ramp up the healing process. So, each treatment should increase your blood flow into and around the damaged area. This, in turn, reduces inflammation and stimulates cells to regenerate faster.

What Are the Advantages of Shockwave Therapy?

Heel problems can take a while to get better. You can't rest the affected foot all the time, after all. So, you have to juggle managing your pain and discomfort with everyday walking. This can add to the time it takes your condition to improve.

If your problem is slow to get better, or keeps flaring up again, then a course of shockwave therapy sessions could speed up your recovery time and improve your long-term outcome. For example, these treatments reduce inflammation in your heel, making it immediately more comfortable and less stiff.

Plus, as your inflammation decreases, your damaged tissues can then repair themselves faster. Once healing starts in earnest, you're on the home straight. You should see a significant decrease in your discomfort and pain levels. Plus, if you're having to take medications to manage your pain at the moment, then you should be able to cut these down as the treatment starts to work.

Shockwave therapy is also a quick and non-invasive adjunct to your overall treatment plan. You can have treatments in your podiatrist's clinic during regular appointment times as usual. You won't need surgery or any recovery time after a session. Depending on your condition and its severity, you might only need a few sessions to get your healing back on track again.

To find out more about how shockwave therapy might help your heel pain, talk to your podiatrist.

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