Plantar fasciitis is a common condition that accounts for 11-15% of all foot complaints requiring professional treatment in the UK. It can make every step excruciating and cause significant mental health issues due to the loss of mobility.
However, relief exists, and it is both fast and effective, through treatments such as shockwave therapy and physiotherapy.
Read on to learn how these two plantar fasciitis treatment methods can help reduce the discomfort you feel and how you can use these techniques as a part of a larger foot pain management regime. Hear about some of our successes in Sutton Coldfield, and use this information to consider your physical therapy options today.
Effective Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Options
The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that stretches from the heel to the toes. If this area becomes inflamed, it can be incredibly painful. The discomfort often presents as a stabbing pain after long rest periods, such as when taking the first free steps of the day.
The condition often develops due to repetitive stress, which causes microtears in the tissue. Inflammation is part of the body’s natural effort to repair itself. However, continuing to use the region around this time can cause severe discomfort.
Left untreated, the pain can often lead to other issues, such as knee or back discomfort, due to standing or moving unnaturally following the onset of pain. Instead, early intervention can often prevent progression and ensure you have a healthier outlook. However, not everyone is willing to have surgery on such a delicate location that may reduce someone’s mobility further while they heal from the invasive procedure.
Instead, for plantar fasciitis, studies have shown that 90% of sufferers fully recover without needing to use surgical methods. Instead, they can consider options such as:
- Physical therapy
- Shockwave therapy
- Personalized home exercises
- Pain prevention strategies
- Self-care techniques
Chronic foot pain remedies such as these and other non-invasive treatments are often a key part of foot pain management.
Shockwave Therapy
The shockwave therapy process delivers acoustic waves to the area in pain, in this case, the foot’s tissues. These waves stimulate further blood flow in the foot, allowing the tissue access to additional nutrients in the blood and boosting tissue repair.
Shockwave therapy is beneficial to many due to the minimal downtime it causes. As such, it is ideal for more active individuals who may wish to avoid long-term harm to their feet.
Patients even describe a 65.49% reduction in pain levels after certain forms of shockwave therapy, with other benefits including:
- 50.83% increase in foot function
- 50.01% increased stride
- 9.62% faster stride
- 41.47% increased walking speed
Such greatly improved foot health is significant for sessions that typically last 15-30 minutes. Combining this treatment with regular personalized exercises is likely to improve your outlook even further.
Physiotherapy for Heel Pain Relief
Physiotherapeutic techniques target the tight muscles and tendons that are the source point for plantar fasciitis pain. Examples of the types of methods available include:
- Performing gait analysis to correct walking patterns
- Making movement recommendations to prevent reinjury
- Manual therapy, such as kneading and loosening the muscles
- Stretching the area
- Repeating strengthening exercises
Noninvasive treatments like this avoid the risks inherent in surgery, focusing instead on addressing both symptoms and underlying causes, such as inflammation. By adhering to prescribed steps and maintaining consistent treatment, surgery may even be unnecessary. However, speak with your physiotherapist for more information on your specific situation and whether this is possible for you.
Success with Shockwave Therapy with Other Therapies
Shockwave therapy is often a successful method of treating plantar fasciitis, with a better outcome rate than many other treatments. As it works in synergy with other pain reduction methods without interaction, you can often use it alongside other treatments for the best chance of success. You should discuss the details of this with your treatment provider.
Reviews of Shockwave Therapy
In the area of Sutton Coldfield, patients from the Midlands Shockwave & Physiotherapy Clinic have spoken highly of the treatment, discussing its results as “excellent” and enabling them to “get back to a normal exercise routine.” Examples of comments from patients after receiving Shockwave Therapy for plantar fasciitis include:
- “After many years of suffering I have finished the sessions completely pain free!!”
- “I can really recommend this treatment!”
- “I was able to walk for a continuous 45 mins without this resulting in pain, which is something I hadn’t been able to do for over a year.”
As such, these reviews point to shockwave therapy as a positive experience for these patients that improved their lives. Some even describe significant results after only a few treatment sessions, with the friendly staff ensuring the process is simple and stress-free.
Seeking an Assessment for Physical Therapy Options
When you want to receive treatments from a location such as Midlands Shockwave & Physiotherapy Clinic, you must first attend an assessment to determine the extent of your condition.
Such a process starts with discussing a detailed history of your foot’s pain and then a physical examination. Following the exam, the therapist will identify the most likely factors leading to your foot’s condition and then discuss a treatment plan with you, including:
- Specific personal goals
- Pain reduction expectations
- How to incorporate exercise into your routine
- The process of ongoing evaluations
The therapist will also discuss other advice to help you reduce foot pain between treatments. These may include:
- Improved footwear
- Weight maintenance
- Exercise regimes
- Modifying activities to prevent further injury
- Stretching routines
- Planning for the subsequent treatment
Following their advice will likely give you the best chance of a safe and effective recovery.
Trusting Midlands Clinic for a Faster Recovery
It is time for you to consider taking steps to let you enjoy life, not be held back by your own body. Midlands Shockwave & Physiotherapy Clinic offers a chance to seek plantar fasciitis treatment and fight back against the pain you feel every day. The clinic’s friendly and professional team can work with you to restore your mobility, leveraging clear goals to help you speed up recovery.
Join the other patients who have visited Sutton Coldfield and reclaimed their active life. Contact us to book your consultation today and discover what we can do for you.