Why Should I get Laser Therapy for My Heel Pain?

If you’re currently experiencing heel pain, you may be seeking solutions to help relieve your discomfort. Whether the pain exists in one heel or both, it’s important to address the problem by visiting our office at your earliest convenience. Heel pain isn’t something you should have to live with, especially because heel pain can usually be treated using non-surgical methods. In this blog post, we’d like to share with you some information about heel pain, including two common causes and one incredibly reliable treatment, laser therapy.

What are the Most Common Causes of Heel Pain?

Heel pain is quite common among people of all ages and athletic abilities. Pain in one or both heels can be caused by an injury or an inflammatory condition, and the pain can be exacerbated in a variety of ways, including by wearing improper footwear (flip-flops instead of sneakers, for example).

Chronic heel pain is not normal. By chronic, we mean that day after day, you wake up with mild, moderate, or severe heel pain that does not go away and/or seems to be getting worse. You may have tried to lessen the pain on your own by losing weight, buying better-fitting and/or more supportive shoes, and/or applying the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) method.

Many people with heel pain have developed an underlying condition such as plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinitis.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. To better understand this condition, it’s important to know that it originates with the plantar fascia—a ligament that runs along the bottom of your foot and connects your toes to your heel and your heel to your calf. This rubber band-like ligament is designed to support the arch of your foot and absorb the shock of movements associated with walking, running, and jumping (just to name a few).

When your plantar fascia ligament begins to succumb to repeated tension and stress, tiny tears form in the tissue. As a result, you may notice a sharp, stabbing pain in your heel(s) that may tend to feel especially agonizing in the morning.

Achilles Tendinitis

Like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis will cause you to experience consistent and bothersome heel pain. The pain will likely be located at the back of your ankle or in your lower leg, right above the heel, because in this case, your Achilles tendon is the culprit. The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in your body. It connects your heel bone to the muscles in the back of your calf. Achilles tendinitis occurs when the tendon becomes inflamed and/or irritated as the result of overuse, or if there has been a significant increase in the frequency or intensity of your exercise routine. The swelling, irritation, and tenderness associated with Achilles tendinitis can make it difficult to walk.

Aside from causing your heel pain, what do plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis have in common? Both conditions can be treated by our podiatrist using a treatment method called Laser Therapy.

What Is Laser Therapy?

Laser therapy is a non-surgical treatment option that Dr. Bhela may recommend to treat your heel pain. Many patients elect to undergo this form of therapy because it is safe, painless, and non-invasive. Most notably, it’s effective.

Laser Therapy

Laser Therapy promotes healing and reduces your pain by using a laser to deliver wavelengths given in precise doses, which generates an anti-inflammatory effect. A type of regenerative medicine, Laser Therapy allows Dr. Bhela to target the problematic areas on your body and, therefore, reduce the swelling, pain, and inflammation residing in those areas. All of our Laser Therapy is an FDA-approved technology.

Does Laser Therapy Work Well for Treating Heel Pain?

Laser Therapy works well for treating heel pain, including heel pain that’s caused by plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis. It’s also ideal for treating other conditions and injuries, such as foot arthritis, foot neuromas, and peripheral neuropathy.

What is an Appointment for Laser Therapy Like?

If you are a candidate for receiving Laser Therapy, you can expect to undergo multiple treatment sessions at our office. Each treatment session lasts approximately 10 to 15 minutes. During your treatment, our podiatrist will position the laser accordingly and then ask you to remain still so the laser can be guided across the affected areas multiple times over. You will not feel anything during treatment—it’s so painless that you’re welcome to sit back and relax throughout the entire duration of your session.

You can expect your treatment plan to range anywhere from six to 12 sessions. Most patients begin to feel relief from their heel pain after 3 sessions. Best of all, patients have reported long-term results.

Should You Get Laser Therapy?

If you’ve been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, or another condition that’s causing your heel pain, your friends at Restore Podiatry strongly recommend that you consider this revolutionary form of laser therapy. It’s safe, painless, convenient, and effective. Patients who have undergone this therapy have been thrilled with their results.

What are the Benefits of Laser Therapy?

Laser Therapy works well to bring you the pain relief you’ve been seeking. There are myriad benefits when it comes to receiving Laser Therapy, including:

• Painless: You won’t feel any pain whatsoever during your treatment sessions. (This means that Laser Therapy is especially ideal for those with a low pain tolerance).
• Drugless: Surgical intervention usually necessitates a prescription for pain killers. Laser Therapy is non-surgical, so there’s no need for you to have to fill a prescription as part of this treatment option.
• No recovery time: Upon the conclusion of each treatment session, you won’t need to be bandaged in any way, and you won’t have any post-treatment protocols to follow.
• Quick appointments: You’ll be in and out of our office in fewer than 20 minutes.
• No burning or scarring: Laser Therapy is light-based, which means that you won’t experience any burning, scarring, or other visible damage to your skin.

Schedule Your Laser Appointment Today!

Your friendly and knowledgeable podiatrist at Restore Podiatry, Dr. Davinder Bhela, considers Laser Therapy an ideal method for treating heel pain. After conducting a thorough evaluation of your feet and accurately diagnosing your condition, Dr. Bhela can discuss with you all the benefits of Laser Therapy and answer any questions you may have about receiving this therapy.

If your heels are hurting, we are here to help. Please don’t allow your pain to worsen; contact our friendly staff at Restore Podiatry today so we can schedule an appointment for you by completing our online contact form. At Restore Podiatry, we remain committed to helping you receive the effective treatment you need to return to the pain-free lifestyle you deserve.