Do you have or know anyone with Chronic Heel Pain (Plantar Fasciitis/Heel Spur Syndrome) or Achilles Tendon ailments? These respective problems are usually managed quite well with conservatives measures, such as avoidance of non supportive shoes, anti-inflammatories, ample rest, stretching, and avoidance of aggravating activities. In rare instances, if first and second line of treatments fail to gain significant relief for patients, cast immobilization and physical therapy may be needed. Luckily, these measures are able to effectively manage upwards of 90% of people with these ailments.
Unfortunately, there are a small percentage of patients that have exhausted standard and reasonable treatments. Traditionally, surgery has been a viable option when all else fails. However, in recent years, physicians have been able to offer their patients with these ailments with alternative non surgical treatments, with one being called Platelet Rich Plasma.
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is a great non surgical treatment for Heel Pain due to Plantar Fasciitis(Heel Spur Syndrome) and chronic conditions of the Achilles Tendon. The idea is that these ailments are stuck in a chronic inflammatory or degenerative state, resistant to the normal healing process. PRP has many growth factors or components that can help heal these conditions stuck in chronic phases. It is obtained by using a patient’s own blood which is drawn at the office and spun to separate the different components of whole blood. After separation of blood components, your doctor will inject the PRP obtained from the sample of blood into the area of problem after local anesthetic block.
Heel Pain due to Plantar Fasciitis (heel spur syndrome) and problems of the Achilles Tendon are not the only ailments that could benefit from Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). PRP also has an application in major surgeries of the foot and ankle for those patients deemed a risk with healing problems, as determined by your doctor and medical history. Also, the diabetic population with chronic wounds can benefit from the healing properties of PRP.
In short, Platelet Rich Plasma can be a viable alternative treatment. If you or someone you know has chronic heel pain or Achilles problems, this may be a great alternative to surgery.
For more information regarding Platelet Rich Plasma, please call the office @ (704) 662-3660 to schedule an appointment.