The majority of patients who experience heel pain ignore them and think the pains will go away with rest and less activity. Unfortunately, in some cases the heel pain is a warning signal from the body that it is injured. Foot malformations such as over-pronation or flat foot can lead to more severe conditions such as plantar fasciitis. This often disabling pain in the heel area of the foot can be treated in a surgical center as an outpatient.

Effective Plantar Fasciitis Therapy Is Readily Available

As found by the APMA (American Podiatric Medical Association), plantar fasciitis can be caused by faulty biomechanics and walking motion. This can include over-pronation and flat feet, just to name a few. In cases when the feet and leg biomechanics are out of line with the entire body, excessive impact and jarring are put on structures of the foot that are not meant to take those strains. For instance, excessive jarring or even being over your ideal weight can all be contributing causes for heel pain.

Plantar Fasciitis Therapy Can Be a Welcomed Relief

A surgical option called Instep Plantar Fasciotomy is one treatment for plantar fasciitis that is done under ankle block anesthesia (patient is awake but the foot is numbed). The plantar fascia is a ligament of tissue responsible for the extreme pain caused by this condition. The surgeon opens the heel through a small incision made above the affected area of the heel. The fluid-filled area and injured tissue is removed from the affected foot. Once the wound is stitched up, a walking shoe is recommended to be used for approximately four to six weeks, depending upon the patient's recovery.

Plantar Fasciitis Therapy Doesn't Have to Mean Surgery

A type of cutting edge technology being used today to heal foot conditions is with waves of low level sound. Denominated ESWT (extracorporeal shock wave therapy), this technology aims to use small amounts of sound waves to destruct the affected tissues. It Is apparently counterproductive, but it isn't. The injuring of these tissues in low amounts actually evokes the body's healing response and cures the body of the painful issue. In a study done in the early part of this decade, it took eight-hundred study participants about 8 weeks to heal completely with about 80% to 90% success.

Plantar Fasciitis Therapy with Faster Recovery Times

The final medical procedure that is becoming more popular simply because it requires less recovery time is an endoscopic plantar fasciotomy. In this medical treatment, the foot is numbed with an ankle block while the patient is awake. Since some physicians may prefer to put the patient under, that is also a viable way to carry out the operation with reduced stress to the person. Quarter-inch incisions are made in the left and right sides of the heel to access the affected regions. A small camera is used to help the doctor to identify the plantar fascia ligament. The surgeon sews the incision closed once the problem tissues have been identified and fixed.

Over-pronation and Fallen Arches Don't Have to Hurt as Much

Though surgery is only required in about 5% of the cases of heel pain from plantar fasciitis, it's advisable to be aware of the procedures that surgeons are using today. Continuing with PT (physical therapy) is one of the best things patients can do after undergoing any of these procedures. Manual manipulation, water pool exercise, and lengthening the tissues are just some of the many methods that can help. For patients with walking gait abnormalities and biomechanical problems such as excess pronation or flat feet, orthtotic insoles are recommended to halt recurrence of heel pain.