Have you been experiencing any heel pain or bothersome tenderness without any obvious cause? You aren’t alone. Foot pain, particularly heel pain, is one of the most common complaints and most people will deal with pain at some point during their lifetime, affecting upwards of two million patients a year.
Causes of Heel Pain
Plantar Fasciitis
Also known as heel spurs, plantar fasciitis can best be described as a throbbing pain that strikes the meat of the heel and radiates outward, plantar fasciitis is the most common foot conditions in the U.S. The most obvious sign of this condition is the stabbing pain you experience when taking your first steps in the morning on the bottom of your foot. This happens because as you sleep, the fascia ligaments tighten up at night causing the pain to diminish, only for the excruciating pain to return in the morning due to the pressure placed on the ligaments the moment your foot hits the ground.
Achilles Tendonitis
Tendonitis, in the general sense, is an inflammation of the body’s tendons. Achilles tendonitis attacks the largest tendon in the human body, which connects the foot to the leg, and often occurs when the body is over-exerted, which can cause injury or inflammation to this connective tissue. If ignored and untreated, it can ultimately cause your tendon to rupture.
Bursitis
Bursitis is the inflammation of a bursa, a fluid-filled sac found in various locations of the body where friction between tissues occurs. The bursa that is responsible for heel pain is located where the Achilles tendon connects the heels to the toes. This sac helps reduce friction between tissue and prevent pain. Prolonged, excessive pressure is the most common cause of bursal inflammation, although injury can also cause bursitis. The body may create bursal sacs in a response to tissue damage.
Treatment options
If you suffer from plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, or another chronic foot injury or soft tissue pain – your treatment options are no longer limited to traditional treatments such as steroid injections or physical therapy.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT)
ESWT is the most advanced and effective noninvasive treatment option for pain relief from heel pain associated with plantar fasciitis. The procedure itself takes roughly 25 minutes with most patients being able to return to normal, though somewhat limited activities the next day.
Amniotic Stem Cell Therapy
Amniotic stem cell therapy takes advantage of the body’s ability to repair itself and relies on naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agents as a natural alternative to surgery. Stem cell therapy can accelerate and promote healing in damaged tissue, even if you have been unresponsive to more traditional remedies in the past. Stem cell therapy offers pain-relieving benefits that far exceed typical treatments. Patients generally need only one injection and do quite well more than one year after treatment with decreased pain and increased mobility.
If you find yourself not responding to one or more conservative treatments after several months, call our office to discuss other options today!
Dr. Hochman, an experienced podiatrist with over 20 years of experience, works hard to bring patients the most technologically advanced and minimally invasive treatment options for all types of podiatric ailments, including heel pain, regardless of its cause.
If you are suffering from chronic heel pain, and your current treatment program is making slow progress, it’s time that you call our at (305) 442-1780 today to discuss which one of our nonsurgical options is the right option for you.
