Shockwave therapy is used on related foot injuries. It’s a fairly new high tech treatment that has received extensive testing, and the results are remarkable. Also known as ESWT, or extracorporeal shockwave therapy, it represents a non-invasive way of tackling various forms of chronic foot pain.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved shockwave therapy for stress fractures, non healing bones, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs and other foot injuries.
What Can Shockwave Therapy Treat?
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Hallux Rigidus
- Stress Fractures
- Achilles Tendinopathy
- non healing bones ( non unions)
How Does Shockwave Therapy Work?
There are a few theories on how shockwave therapy works. Although doctors and researchers can’t be 100% sure, they can agree on one thing, shockwave therapy works on most patients! Here’s what they believe:
- Instructs the Brain – Occasionally, your body doesn’t respond well to chronic pain. Shockwave therapy causes inflammation in the area of the pain, and your body’s defense mechanisms kick in to assist in the healing process.
- Promotes Healing – Shockwave therapy helps speed up the healing process by helping blood flow to the damaged area, releasing growth factors into the injured tissue.
Shockwave therapy isn’t a first response to treatment. It is only considered on patients, who have not successfully responded to other forms of therapy. To be eligible, you may be unresponsive to other traditional forms of therapy such as stretching, orthotics, physical therapy, modified shoes and activity.
The procedure is done in a doctor’s office, and you will be given local anesthesia. It is an outpatient procedure, and you will be ready to go home the same day. There is no disability after the procedure, typically you will return to your regular schedule of activity. There are conditions that need to have additional modalities used at the same time, so we will use either platlet rich plasma PRP or amniotic membrane and fluid injections to assist in regenerating the healthy tissue.
Shockwave therapy is a viable option to help relieve chronic pain in your feet. You should get in contact with your personal podiatrists at InMotion Foot and Ankle Specialists to discover more about this form of treatment, and if it is right for you. Your podiatrist might have other forms of treatment that you might want to try, too.
