Reducing inflammation in your heel is one part of our Comprehensive Treatment Plan To End Heel Pain. Addressing inflammation is essential for healing plantar fasciitis, as it's the foundation for your recovery. Our goal is to bring down your inflammation sufficiently to allow the other treatments in your plan to work and help you return to the activities you enjoy.
Home treatment for pain and inflammation is part of our comprehensive treatment plan. You can begin doing this before you come in for your appointment.
At-Home Steps To Reduce Your Inflammation and Heel Pain
Cold Therapy
- Ice is very effective in reducing inflammation; use it for 20 minutes 2-3 times a day.
- The foot roller from Theraband can be put in the freezer to get the benefits of massage and icing. You can also put a water bottle in the freezer and use it the same way.
Massage
Massage soothes swollen tissue and helps release the tight fascia. You can accomplish this with the foot roller, at your appointment with a physical therapist, and by applying self-massage.
Topical creams
One of the most effective topical creams we recommend is Biofreeze.
Self-taping
When patients first come into the office, we'll use an easy-to-apply Quick Tape to help relieve their pain. Most people experience an immediate decrease in pain when they step down on the floor. Instead of pulling on your plantar fascia, your foot will pull on the tape first. The tape typically lasts a few days. You can also use this tape at home. Tape can also be purchased online.
In Office Steps To Reduce Your Inflammation and Heel Pain (Plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis)
While many of the at-home treatments are effective for many people if your symptoms have continued for many months, you may need some additional help in getting your inflammation down. Here are the modalities we use in the office.
Cortisone shot
A cortisone shot will act immediately to reduce your inflammation and heel pain, however, it does not heal the affected tissues.
MLS Laser Treats Plantar Fasciitis Inflammation
MLS laser is very effective in treating the pain and inflammation of plantar fasciitis and it works at the cellular level. Unlike cortisone, it does heal the affected tissues. It's helped patients with moderate to severe pain and who've had stubborn heel pain over months or years. It uses dual wavelengths of infrared light to penetrate deep into the tissue and stimulate regeneration at the cellular level. One laser is pulsed and treats pain. The other laser is continuous and treats inflammation.
PRP or Platelet-Rich Plasma
PRP is a form of regenerative medicine. It contains a concentration of platelets rich in growth factors and can accelerate the healing of damaged tissues. PRP has been shown to be very effective in reducing pain and inflammation in plantar fasciitis. It uses your own concentrated blood rich in growth factors to decrease inflammation.
Air heel
Like taping, an air heel alters the way your foot lands when you walk to decrease pain and inflammation.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture can help to deactivate trigger points that contribute to myofascial pain and stimulate the release of endorphins.
