Plantar fasciitis is an injury to the fibrous tissue that stretches from the heel to the forefoot. Over-pronation, being flatfooted, is often the cause of plantar fasciitis. It can also be caused by overuse or other causes of excess pressure on the plantar fascia such as being overweight. This condition can be painful.
Resting the feet often provides at least temporary relief. If the plantar fasciitis is caused by over-pronation, the physician may recommend using arch supports as part of the treatment for plantar fasciitis. If noninvasive treatments fail, surgical intervention has been the usual option. A new option for treatment for plantar fasciitis is shock wave therapy.
Shock wave therapy for plantar faciitis is a procedure during which electrical shock is applied to the plantar fascia. The procedure is thought to work by causing a slight trauma to the area which causes the body to work to repair the damage. In doing so, the damage to the plantar fascia that caused the plantar fasciitis often heals.
There are two types of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for plantar fasciitis. High-energy shockwave therapy for plantar fasciitis is painful and needs to be done under sedation or some form of anesthesia. Low-energy shock wave therapy can be done in a doctor’s office without the need for pain relievers or with a mild sedative.
A low-energy shock wave procedure may need to be repeated a few times. High-energy shock wave therapy for plantar faciitis may be effective after just one procedure. Over half the participants in clinical trials who were potential candidates for surgery for plantar fasciitis were effectively treated by the shock wave therapy and avoided the need for surgery.
Shock wave therapy for plantar fasciitis has been approved by the FDA in 2000. Shock wave therapy is expensive, usually costing over one thousand dollars, and is rarely covered by health insurance. Some studies have failed to produce the same results which question the validity of the initial studies.
Some studies show that as low as five percent of the patients that underwent shockwave therapy for plantar fasciitis experiences relief from symptoms. However, surgery for plantar fasciitis is not effective for everyone either. Surgery also has risk of complications that shockwave therapy does not. If patients fail to have relief from the foot pain after trying noninvasive methods of treatment, they should discuss treatment options with their doctors.
