If you’ve ever experienced the intense pain of plantar fasciitis you know that you desperately need an effective treatment strategy. It’s no laughing matter when your first steps getting out of bed in the morning or getting out of a chair later in the day cause so much pain that you’re hobbled like a lame horse. And, if you have plantar pain, you know it can be chronic, responding poorly to stretching, injections and orthotics. Fortunately, there is therapy that addresses the source of plantar fascia pain: platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections.
Plantar fascia pain is thought to be due to strain on the plantar fascia; overloading the fascia with excessive body weight, or beginning a new, strenuous exercise program or activity. It can begin with wearing poorly supportive shoes, exercising on hard surfaces or be associated with certain medical conditions. It is also important to remember pinched L5 and S1 nerves radiating from the lumbosacral spine can cause or contribute to the condition. Keep in mind, in addition to treating the condition at the foot, you must identify and treat the underlying cause, if possible.
Traditionally, recommended therapy has been stretching ice, activity modification and orthotics. I have no issue with these measures as they may successfully treat the condition in many cases.
For resistant cases, steroid injections into the fascia and even surgery to cut the fascia or gastrocnemius muscle to relieve the tension may be recommended. Please don’t let anyone inject steroids or cut fascia or muscles! Steroids are known to weaken fascia and predispose to tearing. Surgery disrupts the support of your foot.
A much better option is to go to a Regenexx provider and talk to them about platelet rich plasma injections. The process is simple. Blood is drawn in the Regenexx physician’s office and then taken to the onsite lab where it is concentrated 7 to 14 times the amount found in blood. These concentrated platelets are injected into the injured fascia, triggering a healing response. In a Regenexx office, physicians always use guidance of some sort, typically ultrasound for plantar fascia. Published studies show that PRP injections into the plantar fascia show clinical and statistically significant improvements in heel pain, function and fascia thickness.1
A Regenexx provider is also knowledgeable about the role of the lumbar area in perpetuating plantar pain so he/she will examine you with an eye to picking up signs of pinched L5 and S1 nerves. If identified, these should also be treated with an epidural platelet lysate injection to reduce nerve irritability.
If you suffer from plantar fasciitis, call Advanced PainCare today at
717-791-2860
to get scheduled for an evaluation.
This NCBI article (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8149543/) provides scientific backing from a peer-reviewed study, supporting the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for treating plantar fasciitis, thus reinforcing the article’s treatment recommendations.