Our Vancouver, Washington, Podiatrists Offer Shockwave Therapy to Help Patients Find Lasting Foot Pain Relief
Foot pain can be frustrating, especially when you’ve tried multiple remedies without success. Having agony haunt your every step can make it difficult to just get through the day—much less participate in your favorite activities. Fortunately, you don’t have to let podiatric pain get in the way of living your best life. If you’re looking for relief, you’ve come to the right place.
At Clover Podiatry, our talented team of podiatrists, led by Tek Fish, DPM, provide comprehensive care for painful foot and ankle injuries, structural imbalances, and other conditions. We offer a range of effective interventions for foot pain, including state-of-the-art Shockwave therapy.
Also known as Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT), this revolutionary FDA-cleared treatment utilizes acoustic pressure waves to stimulate the healing process, helping you get back on your feet with less discomfort and downtime. Learn more about this advanced therapy and how our Washington State specialists use it to help patients overcome stubborn foot pain.
Understanding Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy is an innovative, non-surgical solution that uses specialized acoustic pressure waves to encourage your body to heal faster and more effectively. These waves—or pulses—create “microtrauma” in soft tissues, stimulating metabolism, increasing blood flow, and encouraging cellular regeneration at the site of your injury or discomfort. As a result, patients can experience lasting pain relief.
ESWT offers numerous benefits, including:
- Non-invasive. Shockwave therapy requires no incisions or anesthesia.
- Effective. This game-changing treatment boasts a success rate of up to 91 percent.
- Convenient. We perform this advanced therapy right in our Vancouver office, with sessions typically lasting just 15 to 20 minutes.
- Comfortable. Shockwave therapy is virtually painless, though some patients report feeling some discomfort during the session.
- Swift recovery. Most patients require three to six sessions to achieve optimal results, though many report improvement after the first treatment.
- No downtime. Shockwave therapy doesn’t keep patients off their feet—return to normal activities immediately after treatment.
Exploring Painful Foot Conditions EWST Can Address
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) is particularly effective at treating painful foot conditions that didn’t respond to more conventional treatments. At Clover Podiatry, our Vancouver podiatrists use it to address the following foot problems:
- Plantar fasciitis. An inflammation of the ligament that supports your arch, this common podiatric complaint causes a stabbing pain on the bottom of the foot near the heel that’s worse in the morning.
- Heel spurs. These bony growths form on the heel bone due to plantar fasciitis. Shockwave’s focused acoustic pulses can help break down calcium deposits while reducing pain and inflammation.
- Achilles tendinitis. Often beginning as a dull ache in the back of the leg, above the heel, this issue can result from an injury or everyday wear and tear. Shockwave can help reduce inflammation and promote healing.
- Morton’s neuroma. This condition causes the nerve between your third and fourth toes to thicken, which can cause stinging, burning, or numbness or make you feel like you’re standing on a pebble.
- Arthritis. Shockwave therapy can also relieve foot pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.
- Stress fracture. Tiny cracks on the surface of a foot bone, stress fractures can be caused by repetitive stress and high-impact activities. In addition to its benefits for soft tissues, Shockwave treatment also stimulates osteoblasts, which are new bone cells responsible for healing.
What to Expect During Shockwave Treatment
Your Shockwave therapy session begins with a thorough evaluation of your condition. We apply a special gel to the treatment area to help conduct the acoustic waves effectively. During the procedure, you'll feel a tapping sensation as the device delivers the therapeutic waves to the injured tissue.