Pain from the fascia is caused by overuse of the plantar fascia inserting on to the heel bone. Symptoms include a sharp, stabbing pain in the heel of the foot, typically more painful upon waking first thing in the morning. Non-surgical treatment options include physical therapy, bracing, shockwave therapy, and nitroglycerin patches. When those treatments fail, a diagnostic ultrasound of the plantar facia could be warranted.
An ultrasound allows me to look at the plantar fascia and see if this is the cause of the pain. We have new treatment options to get patients back to work and exercising. Treatment options into the fascia include Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Tenex. These are new treatments have been shown to 80% effective for healing these tendons.
During PRP therapy, we draw some blood from your arm and get the buffy coat and then inject the platelets back into the injured area. The platelets have growth factors to help the plantar fascia heal.
Tenex is a cutting edge technology developed at Mayo Clinic. During this procedure, we use a device to remove some of the degenerated tissue while preserving healthy tissue. This allows your body to heal the tendon.
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