Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) is a non-surgical office treatment to help heal painful musculoskeletal conditions.
Shockwave is an exciting, non-invasive alternative to surgery that is available at Primary Foot Care Center, Inc. for treatment for heel pain, arch pain, achilles tendon pain and many other common conditions. Shockwave treatment uses pressure waves focused on the site of the pain or injury to stimulate the body’s own natural healing mechanisms, jump-starting the healing process. It may also help to heal damaged tissue.
Shockwave is useful primarily for heel pain from plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis. It can also be useful for treatment for heel pain syndrome, posterior tibial tendinitis, peroneal tendinitis, stress fractures and non-union of the foot fractures or pain in the ball of the foot.
There have been many medical studies which support the use of this treatment. Over 82% of patients report less or no heel pain after Shockwave treatment. It has been approved for use by the FDA, and our doctors have been utilizing Shockwave therapy to treat heel pain from plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis since 2000.
The safety of this procedure is proven. If done by a qualified provider, the procedure has virtually no risks or side effects, since there is no medication, surgery, injections, or anesthesia administered. Complications are extremely low.
There are several benefits to Shockwave treatment. It is a non-invasive procedure—which means there is no cutting of the skin. It also requires no anesthesia, not even any numbing medicine. This means no time out from work or down-time following the procedure. Shockwave is also relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to the cost of surgery. There is no post-treatment pain medication needed, and the treatment is fast, safe, and effective.
Generally, 5 treatments are performed on a weekly basis, and each one takes approximately 10 minutes depending on the area treated and the amount of inflammation present. It can be performed in a standard treatment room and no special pretreatment medicines, or preparations are necessary. No anesthesia is required, and most individuals tolerate the treatment well without medication or injections, before or after.
For most medical conditions, a plan of conservative treatment is generally recommended first. If this is unsuccessful, you can discuss Shockwave therapy treatment with your doctor. Sometimes recurrent problems can be treated immediately with Shockwave therapy. You and Dr. Tamara Fishman can make this decision together.
