One of the most painful musculoskeletal conditions that can truly impact anyone, plantar fasciitis is characterized by an inflammation of a thick band of tissue connecting the heel bone to the toes. For people with plantar fasciitis, simply planting their feet on the floor in the morning can feel like stepping on hot knives. Plantar fasciitis pain often peaks in the morning. However, some people have intermittent pain throughout the day. Other people may never get relief.

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?

Developing plantar fasciitis often comes down to applying too much pressure to your feet. Picture the plantar fascia as a bowstring-shaped tendon that supports your foot arch. As you walk, that bowstring absorbs the impact and shock of the ground hitting the bottom of your foot. However, it’s possible to apply so much pressure that small tears form in the bowstring. Here are some factors that are known to increase your chance of developing plantar fasciitis:

  • People are more likely to develop plantar fasciitis after the age of 40.
  • Exercises that cause you to put stress on your heel can put you at risk. This includes common activities like dancing and long-distance running.
  • The natural shape of your foot can also make you vulnerable. For example, a person with flat feet may experience greater pressure on the bottom of the foot. High arches can also create extra stretching that ultimately strains your plantar fascia.
  • The way you walk can put you at risk. Some people put added weight on the plantar fascia simply based on how they stand or walk.
  • Your occupation can also put you at risk for developing plantar fasciitis. We commonly see this foot issue in people who stand for long hours as part of their jobs.

While the pain of plantar fasciitis alone should be enough to cause you to seek treatment to heal this condition, there’s actually another reason why you shouldn’t hesitate to see an expert. When dealing with chronic pain in the foot and heel, many people begin to alter the way they walk and move to avoid sharp pain. This can actually create a trickle effect where you’re putting unnatural pressure and strain on other parts of the body. Compensating for foot pain often causes people to unwittingly create back, knee, and hip issues.

Treating Plantar Fasciitis With Shockwave Therapy

Shockwave therapy is creating much-needed relief for countless people suffering from plantar fasciitis. In studies, shockwave therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for addressing pain, function, and quality of life in people with plantar fasciitis. For many people seeking non-invasive options for treating foot pain, shockwave therapy is an obvious choice because it doesn’t come with the same requirements for invasiveness, cost, and recovery time as an option like surgery. For people who don’t have options for taking time off from jobs or family responsibilities, this can be a very gentle and convenient treatment that speeds up healing without negative side effects. Another big benefit of shockwave therapy is that it delivers targeted electric waves via pulsations directly to the bottom of the heel without involving other areas of the body. In addition to being painless, shockwave therapy also allows patients to essentially resume normal daily activities right away.

Get Shockwave Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis in Denver, Colorado

Dr. Trent Artichoker is pleased to be able to offer shockwave therapy to clients of Denver Chiropractic. Using the elite Dolorclast® machine built in Switzerland, our practice is able to help our patients speed up healing and pain relief. In fact, Denver Chiropractic is proud to be the only practice here in Denver offering patients access to this top-tier, cutting-edge machine. Dr. Trent Artichoker has spent his career helping patients heal from car accident injuries, neck pain, back pain, and extremity pain. Experienced in the realm of sports medicine, he frequently works with professional UFC, NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB athletes. To learn more about shockwave therapy for plantar fasciitis, please call Denver Chiropractic today to book an appointment!