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Are you struggling with pain and inflammation caused by plantar fasciitis? Have you tried to relieve the pain through cortisone treatments, but have not had much success? Well you may be interested in a new treatment, which has been effective in treating extreme plantar fasciitis foot pain. It is called “platelet-rich plasma” therapy and new medical studies have found this type of treatment has helped those individuals who suffer from plantar fasciitis, and have had little success with nonsurgical treatment.
Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition, where the tissue that connects the heel bone to your toes and supports the arch of your foot, called the plantar fascia, becomes strained and creates extreme heel pain while standing or walking. Common treatments for the condition include rest, supportive shoes and orthotic inserts, or cortisone shots to help with mobility.
However, this newly found treatment takes on a different approach to healing, one that contradicts the common cortisone treatment. Instead of using cortisone, a plasma and platelet enriched fluid is injected into the foot. These two substances help connect tissue growth and vascular healing, as well as promote inflammation. Subjects who received this therapy showed improvement with foot functioning just after four weeks, which remained consistent up to a year afterward.
This new treatment has some podiatrists hopeful to become widespread as a successful plantar fasciitis treatment alternative. Mostly because of the lack of success common treatments used today have on people who suffer from the condition. Cortisone shots have become a debated topic as far as if the treatment is beneficial enough for the patient. The reason for questioning is because cortisone is degenerative. Although patients experience pain relief following injections, cortisone doesn’t help heal the strained tissue, and foot pain can return again in only a matter of weeks after treatment.
This new treatment study has yet to be fully medically acquired and approved, but researchers and doctors are hopeful that this injection can better benefit patients in the future by relieving pain that is caused by plantar fasciitis.
So what do you think? Have you had success with cortisone shots in treating plantar fasciitis? Would you be open to trying a new treatment? Feel free to comment below, we would love to hear what you think. If you have any questions, please contact PA Foot & Ankle Associates today!
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