Medical Services

ESWT For Chronic Heel Pain

Plantar fasciitis is painful enough to hamper your lifestyle. But most of the conventional treatments can be applied at home as these are noninvasive. Patients with chronic form of plantar fasciitis usually do not respond to these treatments. For them shock wave therapy is a good alternative as surgery may result in further complication. It has shown positive results for most of the patients and is preferred by doctors too.Heel pain is quite common in both men and women. There are many people out there who have experienced an episode of heel pain in their lifetime. While normal pain can be treated with remedies known to all, plantar fasciitis is a problem that asks for attention. In this article, we are going to discuss heel pain and the role of ESWT in plantar fasciitis.

Basic treatment:

People having a heel pain must take some immediate step to get relief. It is necessary to stop walking or standing for long hours. Resting the foot for at least a week is usually fruitful. During the first couple of days, ice application works well on pain and swelling. Cold compress must be given two to three times a day for fifteen minutes every single time. For normal pain, these things work well. But when it comes to plantar fasciitis and if it is chronic, you have little options left including extracorporeal shock wave therapy.

Plantar fasciitis:

Plantar fasciitis is the cause of heel pain for many. Pain is felt with the very first step in the morning and the situation worsens as time passes by. With too much pain, it becomes tough for the patient to carry on with regular works. There are different treatments for this condition. Resting and stretching exercises are obvious in that list. Medications and icing is also useful. If regular treatment fails it is time for some more attention like shockwave treatment Melbourne.Shock wave therapy is getting popularity as a treatment of this condition. It was approved in 2000 by the FDA for treatment. This therapy is different than electric shock. High pressure sound waves are sent to injured areas of the heel where it causes small injuries. This triggers the healing process resulting in improvements in the condition.This therapy is a non-invasive one which doesn’t require any medication. In fact, there is minimal down time and no hospital stay. Even doctors prefer this treatment as there is low or no risk factor involved. Surgery may result in further problems like infection, pain and other side effects. But ESWT is known to have no side effects. Along with that it is nearly pain free. In case of high intensity waves, the use of anaesthetic makes the procedure easy for the patient. Patients who do not response to common treatments shod go for this therapy. It is a more desirable option than surgery which may not have a positive result.