You count on your feet to get around. They help you take a walk around your neighborhood, play a game of tennis or even run a race. So what do you do if plantar fasciitis grounds you?
Plantar fasciitis — a common condition that causes stabbing pain in your heel — affects about a million Americans a year. If you're one of them, you've likely already tried treatment options, like resting your foot, cutting back on activity, doing stretches and taking pain relievers. You might've even had cortisone injections in your heel.
But what if these measures don't help? Until recently, you might've been out of luck. But now, a new kind of therapy — a treatment that uses ultrasound technology to fix the underlying problem — is showing promise.
This new, minimally invasive therapy is called percutaneous ultrasonic fasciotomy — and it can be done right in your doctor's office. There is one caveat: If you have a complete tear in your tendon or fascia, this procedure may not be appropriate.
Here's how it works:
Before the procedure. Imaging tests — such as ultrasound or MRI — are done to determine the location and extent of the degenerated tissue.
During the procedure. Your surgeon numbs the skin over the affected area, then makes a small incision. How small? The incision is large enough to insert a needlelike probe, but not large enough to require stitches after the procedure is over.
The probe is guided into the opening by ultrasound imaging. Its oscillating tip then emulsifies tissue directly ahead of it, while a built-in fluid system irrigates and sucks up the emulsified tissue.
Once all of the degenerated tissue is cleared away, the probe is removed and the incision is closed with adhesive skin tape and a pressure bandage. The whole procedure takes only a few minutes.
After the procedure. You'll likely be asked to rest the area for several days — and you may need to use crutches or a walking boot to relieve pressure. You can usually get back to your regular routine in about 10 days. However, you may have to wait several months before returning to the activity that prompted the fasciitis.
This treatment can also work for other soft tissue injuries, like tennis elbow. In fact, a three-year follow-up of 20 people who'd had the procedure done for tennis elbow found that they experienced sustained pain relief and improvement — and none required further treatment.