Heel pain - when heel pain won't go away

New England Foot & Ankle, P.C.
Chelmsford Office
Newburyport Office
When Heel
Pain Won’t
New England Foot & Ankle, P.C. is located in New England Foot & Ankle, P.C. is located the Courthouse office complex on Parkhurst on Merrimac Street, approx 1/2 mile west from Go Away…
Road behind Wal-Mart. Follow the signs to downtown Newburyport (towards Amesbury).
Gold’s Gym. Our office is in the yellow building Parking and entrance at rear of building. Enter (the second building) on the left, just past the We Can Help
Our Office
Our Office
We accept most managed care plans and private insurances, Check, Cash and major credit cards www.nefootankle.com
www.nefootankle.com
Heel Pain Has Many Causes
Treatment Options
We treat all types of adult and children’s foot problems, stressing preventive care
Treatment of plantar fasciitis begins with first- and early medical intervention. Common problems that we treat are:
plantar fasciitis, a condition sometimes line strategies, which you can begin at home.
mislabeled “heel spur syndrome”, when a spur Stretching exercises. Stretch the calf
is present. However, there is no correlation • Toe joint (implants) replacements • Custom Orthotics between heel pain and the presence or absence Avoid going barefoot. Walking without
• Children’s gait problems (intoe, outtoe) of a spur. Heel pain can also be due to other supportive shoes puts undue strain on the causes, such as a fracture, tendonitis, arthritis, nerve irritation, or rarely, a cyst. Because there are several causes, it’s important to have heel Ice. Putting an ice pack on your heel for 10
then your podiatrist will discuss what alternative minutes a day helps reduce inflammation.
treatments are available, and which may be Shoe modifications. Wear supportive
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the band Treatment for Chronic Heel Pain
Medications. Non-steroidal
of tissue (plantar fascia) that extends from the anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s such as In our practice, we consider conventional surgical base of the toes to the heel. The fascia first plantar fasciitis
intervention for chronic heel pain as a last resort.
become irritated and then inflamed-resulting Instead, there are 3 minimally invasive treatments, your foot, to help guide the technician to the Lose weight. Extra pounds put extra
with excellent results (85-90%) that are available.
appropriate target area in your heel. During the Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis
• Autologous Platelet Concentrate (APC).
treatment, several thousand shockwaves will be People with plantar fasciitis often describe Qualified medical personnel will take a small delivered to the point of maximum tenderness If you still have pain after several weeks, see the pain as worse when they get up in the amount of blood from the patient, similar to over a period of 20 minutes. Altough patients your podiatrist, who may add some of these morning, or after they’ve been sitting for long giving blood for a routine test. The vial of blood is may return to their pre-treatment levels of periods of time. After a few minutes of walking, placed in a specialized centrifuge that spins and activity following the procedure, it is suggested Padding and strapping. Taping the foot
automatically separates the red blood cells from that a 24 hour recovery period be considered, walking stretches the fascia. For some people, reduces strain on the fascia as you walk.
the plasma. A yellow material is obtained and patients are instructed to refrain from using the pain subsides, but returns after spending any anti-inflammatory medication (Advil, Aleve) Injection therapy. Corticosteroid
containing cells called platelets, that are very for 3 weeks post treatment. Relief is usually injections may be used to help reduce pain abundant with factors that aid in healing known appreciated over the course of 3-6 months.
as “growth factors.” These growth factors are Causes of Plantar
believed to decrease the inflammation causing Fasciitis
Orthotic devices. Custom orthotic
• TOPAZ Treatment
plantar fasciitis. The platelets from the patient’s devices to fit in your shoes help to correct own blood are injected into the area of pain in This procedure utilizes “Coblation”, a bipolar the heel. Patients are then fitted with a removable Physical therapy. Appropriate PT
walking boot, and will use crutches to prevent technology, to ablate tissue and create small modalities such as stretching, ultrasound putting any weight on the heel for a short period shallow impressions in ligaments and tendons.
of time after treatment. After that, they advance Unlike conventional surgical procedures, TOPAZ to sneakers, and although the range of time for does not change the biomechanics of the foot Night splint. Allows you to maintain
pain relief is variable, it can be appreciated as and offers minimal risk to the patient. The procedure is done in a hospital setting under sleeping. May help to reduce “morning pain”.
light anesthesia. No incisions are required and • Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy
recovery is typically 48 hours, with onset of (ESWT). After local anesthetic is administered to
Although most patients (95%) respond to some your foot, the ultrasound technician will position combination of the above, if adequate relief has the machine near your foot. Ultrasound imaging not been obtained after 3 months of treatment, will be utilized to obtain a “live” picture of www.nefootankle.com

Source: http://www.nefootankle.com/webdocuments/heel-pain-brochure.pdf