7 Nonsurgical Treatment Solutions for Plantar Fasciitis

About 1 in 10 people struggle with plantar fasciitis during their lifetime. This common (often painful) foot condition affects the plantar fascia, a thick fibrous tissue band connecting your heel to your toe on the bottom of each foot. 

To ease discomfort, get back on your feet, and remain active, see Dr. O’Donnell at Revitalize Regenerative Orthopedics LLC, conveniently located in the Denver metropolitan area, at the first sign of foot pain. 

Plantar fasciitis symptoms and causes

Plantar fasciitis is characterized by heel pain, arch pain, stiffness, swelling, reduced mobility, or a tight Achilles tendon. It may present as a dull ache or sharp pain that often worsens during the first few steps upon waking or standing up.

Plantar fasciitis can develop because of playing sports, long-distance running, dancing, overtraining, or simply being on your feet all day for a physically demanding job. Risk factors for developing the painful condition include:

• Exercising on hard surfaces
• Wearing poor-fitting shoes 
• Having high arches
• Having flat feet

Carrying excess weight also increases the chances of developing plantar fasciitis. 

How to diagnose plantar fasciitis

Dr. O’Donnell examines your feet and discusses your symptoms, lifestyle, and medical history to determine if you have plantar fasciitis. He may suggest an MRI, ultrasound, X-rays, or other imaging procedures to establish the root cause of your discomfort and develop the most appropriate foot pain treatment plan. 

Nonsurgical plantar fasciitis treatment options

Most people don’t need surgery to treat plantar fasciitis. Read on to discover seven effective nonsurgical solutions:

1. Home remedies

Things to try at home to ease plantar fasciitis discomfort include icing your foot, stretching, athletic taping, resting your foot, and taking over-the-counter pain medicines. Switch to lower-intensity exercises while your foot heals, wear comfortable shoes, and avoid working out on hard surfaces, or walking barefoot. It's also helpful to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

2. Therapies

During your consultations, Dr. O’Donnell demonstrates a few at-home exercises (physical therapy) you can do to strengthen and stretch your foot to reduce pain and speed up healing. He might suggest massage, night splints to lengthen specific tissues, orthotics (shoe inserts), or a walking boot to temporarily immobilize your foot while it heals. These nonsurgical solutions are also good prevention measures. 

3. Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy is a minimally invasive, safe treatment that Dr. O’Donnell uses to inject dextrose (a sugar) into painful or inflamed areas to boost blood flow and support your body’s natural healing capabilities. Prolotherapy is a proven approach to ease plantar fasciitis discomfort without surgery.

4. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

To improve blood flow and utilize your body's innate capacity to produce new cells, PRP therapy at Revitalize Regenerative Orthopedics LLC involves drawing out and reinjecting some of your blood into sore spots on your foot. Dr. O’Donnell spins a sample of your blood in a centrifuge to separate and isolate the platelets before injecting the platelet-rich solution back into your body in the affected areas of your feet.

5. Bone marrow and fat stem cell therapy

Injecting bone marrow and fat stem cells (sourced from your own body tissues) into painful feet helps naturally stimulate new cell growth, enhance healing, and boost blood flow. Innovative regenerative medicine, including bone and stem cell therapy, may help you avoid surgery or other invasive procedures and get back on your feet pain-free. 

6. Focused shockwave therapy

Focused shockwave therapy uses high-energy acoustic waves to break apart damaged or inflamed tissues, promote cell regeneration, and maximize natural tissue repair. Your provider glides a wand over the painful areas of your foot to deliver shockwaves in a focused, narrow pattern to achieve long-lasting plantar fasciitis relief. 

7. Radial shockwave (EPAT®) therapy

Noninvasive radial shockwave therapy, also called EPAT, uses cutting-edge extracorporeal pulse activation technology to emit high-frequency sound waves (in radial wave patterns) into painful tissues to stimulate natural cell regeneration and healing without surgery. Dr. O’Donnell moves a wand-like device over your foot to reduce inflammation and expedite tissue repair without pain or downtime. 

Contact us today at Revitalize Regenerative Orthopedics LLC by calling the office or requesting an appointment online to get plantar fasciitis relief without surgery.