Is Shockwave Therapy A Solution for Chronic Heel Pain?
Chronic heel pain usually affects the underside or back of your heel, which will cause pain and discomfort, affecting normal everyday activity. Read about how shockwave therapy works.
People who experience chronic heel pain may not realise that there is a non-invasive treatment option available to speed up the healing process. Shockwave therapy is a safe treatment modality that has been used successfully for over 30 years for a variety of musculoskeletal and orthopaedic conditions.
The type of conditions shockwave therapy is used for can be:
- Chronic plantar fasciitis
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Other chronic or calcific lower limb tendinopathies (e.g. Patellar tendinopathy)
- Facilitation of stress fractures or non-healing fractures (e.g. delayed or non-unions)
- Shin splints (e.g. Medial tibial stress syndrome)
It is a great way to treat tendon injuries, heel pain, and other pain related to inflammation!
If you are considering shockwave therapy, please speak to our team at Southwest Foot and Ankle Centre to discuss the best treatment option.
Shockwave Therapy For Plantar Fasciitis
The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis, found at the bottom of the heel. It commonly causes a stabbing pain that may occur with your first steps in the morning. It is the inflammation of a thick band of tissue that connects your heel bone and toes.
Shockwave therapy is a safe, non-invasive and non-surgical treatment modality. There are almost no side effects to shockwave therapy cited in the abundance of literature.
Shockwave Therapy transmits a radial sound wave into the damaged tissue. It is a popular treatment because it is non-invasive, reduces pain quickly, improves blood flow and increases healing capability in damaged tissue.
How Many Treatments Do I Need?
The number of treatment sessions varies depending on several factors. These include, but are not limited to:
- Condition
- Symptoms
- Chronicity
The majority of conditions will have around 3-5 sessions at weekly or fortnightly intervals. Each shockwave therapy session typically lasts between five to fifteen minutes.
Southwest Foot and Ankle Centre is fully equipped with the latest in evidence-based technology. For instance, our modern shockwave therapy machine uses acoustic waves to effectively resolve chronic or persistent heel pain. Shockwave therapy is available in both our WA Bunbury and Vasse rooms!
Contact Southwest Foot and Ankle Centre today on (08) 9791 1319 or by booking an appointment online!
For more information about Shockwave Therapy, see the following websites and literature systematic reviews:
https://www.djostore.com.au/academy/blog/therapeutic-effects-of-shockwave-therapy
