SoftWave Therapy and its effectiveness in treating Plantar Fasciitis
Have you ever experienced pain in the bottom of your foot or in your heel? Is it worse in the mornings when you first wake up? Does the pain return after standing for long periods of time? Chances are, you were probably experiencing Plantar Fasciitis.
What is Plantar Fasciitis and how can it affect me?
Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. The Plantar Fascia is a band of tissue located on the bottom of our feet that connects our heel bone to the base of our toes, which helps support the arch of your foot and absorb shock when you are walking. Repeated stretching or tearing of the fascia can cause irritation and inflammation. Plantar Fasciitis is common in people who run and dance. It could also occur in people who have occupations that require long periods of standing, and even just from your innate foot mechanics. This pain can affect your daily life and keep you from doing the activities you love. However, there is a way to help fight the pain and improve tissue strength!
Can SoftWave Therapy Help My Pain?
SoftWave Therapy is a noninvasive therapy that utilizes high energy sound waves to promote the body’s innate healing response, and ensures an efficient and targeted response to the inflamed tissue. Sound waves are transmitted into the area of inflammation and activate cellular receptors that initiate your body’s innate healing response, resulting in angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels), recruitment and activation of stem cells, increased protein production, and increased cellular permeability, which signals the body’s regenerative processes.
SoftWave has been used to help people combat both chronic and acute cases of plantar fasciitis. Treatments most commonly used for plantar fasciitis include: rest, ice, NSAIDs, supportive footwear or bracing, and physical therapy. SoftWave Therapy encourages your body’s innate healing mechanisms to respond to the specific area, making it a more active treatment option which promotes healing over more passive options.
Can SoftWave therapy help my pain?
SoftWave Therapy is a noninvasive therapy that utilizes high energy sound waves to promote the body’s innate healing response. Sound waves are transmitted into the area of inflammation and encourage an increase in blood supply and resident stem cells to the injured area, which helps decrease inflammation and rebuild tissue.
Due to the location of the plantar fascia, we will target the bottom of your foot during your session, from heel to toe! SoftWave has been used to help people combat both chronic and acute cases of Plantar Fasciitis. For chronic cases, we encourage the body to begin sending its own healing mechanisms into the area to help re-start the healing process. For acute cases, we can help speed-up the healing process so you are back to your activities in no time!
What should I expect after SoftWave treatment?
During treatment you can expect some discomfort as the sound waves are working on the inflamed tissue. Some patients will experience some relief of pain almost immediately after treatment, while others may notice it over the following 1-2 days. Due to the nature of the treatment, it is not uncommon to feel mild soreness after the treatment. This usually lasts about 24-48 hours after a session.
What does a treatment plan for plantar fasciitis look like?
Treatment plans are tailored to each patient and injury; however, a patient can expect 5-10 treatments to initiate the healing response and decrease inflammation in the area. With further treatments, SoftWave promotes angiogenesis which in turns promotes tissue remodeling, regeneration, and healing.
The majority of patients who come to us for SoftWave Therapy for plantar fasciitis pain experience a significant improvement in pain and symptoms. Additionally, we typically see a quicker return to activity in people with decreased recurrence of symptoms.
What happens after I do a treatment plan?
Depending on each individual patient’s results and goals, the therapist will discuss with the patient a plan for the future. Many patients are very happy with the results and have no need for further treatment, while others choose to stay more consistent at a decreased frequency for preventative maintenance.
Case Study
Margaret is a 61 year old female who had been experiencing chronic plantar fasciitis pain for over 5 years. She had tried multiple avenues of pain management and was not seeing any improvement. She traveled frequently, as well as trained regularly, and was beginning to notice further impacts to her daily activities due to the pain. After 10 sessions of SoftWave Therapy, Margaret had noticed about 70% improvement in overall symptoms, and was experiencing days without any pain. After about 3 months of bi-weekly sessions, she had a full resolution of symptoms and was able to train and travel without pain!
SoftWave and Physical Therapy
While SoftWave is an effective treatment option for reducing pain and symptoms, we see even greater results when paired with physical therapy. While SoftWave works on reducing pain and inflammation and encouraging tissue regeneration, physical therapy aids in creating strength and stability through the injured area, as well as surrounding tissues and joints. Additionally, your Physical Therapist will perform detailed movement screenings to help determine the cause of injury and focus on ways to reduce rates of reinjury in the future!
The next steps!
If you have been experiencing pain in your feet, whether it’s new or old pain, let us help you! We would love to answer any additional questions you may have about SoftWave Therapy and get you scheduled for an initial session! Your pain should not have to affect your daily life. It’s time to make an investment in your health and try SoftWave Therapy!
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