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Ongoing Heel Pain? Shockwave Could Be Your Answer
Posted 14 Nov

Ongoing Heel Pain? Shockwave Could Be Your Answer

Heel pain is a big problem. Here in Auckland, New Zealand, and worldwide… the rate of heel pain is growing, along with the rate of people who are regularly in pain or discomfort. With heel pain being one of the most common problems that our podiatrists see and treat here at Perform Podiatry, we’re excited to now offer a fantastic, proven treatment for heel pain from a wide range of causes (like plantar fasciitis and Achilles pain) that is changing lives by eliminating pain: it’s shockwave treatment

Don’t worry! While “shockwave” sounds daunting, it’s anything but. It’s actually an evidence-based treatment that is used extensively to help heal and repair a range of injuries affecting tendons, muscles, and bones. Here’s how we use shockwave to treat heel pain for good - even if it’s been bothering you on and off for years.

First, What Is Shockwave?

Otherwise known as radial pressure wave therapy, shockwave therapy is a device held by our podiatrists and positioned against your foot or leg at the site of your injury. When switched on, it generates acoustic (sound) waves that travel beneath the skin to the damaged tissues. It creates a host of effects that work to accelerate healing and get you out of pain much faster and more effectively.

Now to the results. Shockwave is clinically proven to:

  • Reduce pain - by creating an anaesthetic effect on the nerve fibres, shockwave helps to block pain signals
  • Stimulate the formation of new blood vessels - shockwave helps to promote the development of new blood vessels in the area, meaning more blood flow and faster healing and recovery for tissues and bones
  • Stimulate metabolic activity— shockwave works on a cellular level to promote the release of substances that inhibit pain and inflammation, hence promoting healing and repair.
  • Reduce inflammation
  • Facilitate the body’s healing and repair process in new injuries
  • Reboot the healing process in longstanding conditions or injuries
  • Stimulate the regeneration of tendons
  • Reduce muscle spasticity
  • Disintegrate tendon calcifications

Heel Pain Treatment Using Shockwave

Shockwave has continually proven its effectiveness with heel pain, and many studies have shown excellent results. When it comes to Achilles pain, it has been shown to reduce pain “significantly” (which is a great outcome from a study) and contribute to an excellent or good recovery. These results were found in longstanding (chronic) Achilles tendinopathy, too, so even if you’ve been struggling on and off for years with little success, we recommend trying shockwave.

Similarly, studies have shown that shockwave therapy is effective for plantar fasciitis, considering a person’s pain, function, and quality of life—exactly what our patients are concerned with. 

While we’re talking about heel pain today, it’s worthwhile mentioning that shockwave is also used extensively on the lower limbs (and upper limbs, for that matter). It is used for treating:

  • Knee pain (runner’s knee, patellar tendon injury, osteoarthritis)
  • Shin splints and shin pain
  • Calf injuries
  • Hamstrings
  • Bursitis
  • Bone repairs
  • Calcifications
  • Trigger points
  • Assisting wound healing in the diabetic foot

What does this mean? Shockwave isn’t one of those “cutting edge” treatments that’s brand new to the market and may have side effects that aren’t yet well known or understood yet. It’s actually been used for musculoskeletal repair since the 1990s - and it’s conveniently now been turned into smaller devices (yet just as effective) and so become more accessible to health clinics who choose to invest in this treatment for their patients.

Should You Have Shockwave?

While it’s always your choice whether or not to use shockwave therapy to help with your heel pain or to pursue a different treatment route, we first must check that shockwave therapy would actually be beneficial for you. We’d never use it if we weren’t certain that there is a strong chance it could help (backed by research and evidence). 

Shockwave is actually widely used and preferred as a treatment because it’s non-invasive, meaning it doesn’t penetrate or cut into the skin. This means it doesn’t carry the risks that an invasive treatment, like surgery, does for infection and recovery. Which comes with many benefits:

  • You don’t need any anaesthetic or other injections with the treatment
  • You don’t need to take medications to have the treatment
  • It’s non-surgical while delivering fantastic results
  • It has a short treatment time (usually a maximum of 10 minutes per foot)
  • By stimulating the body’s own repair processes, it’s great for conditions that are normally difficult or time-consuming to treat
  • It has proven its effectiveness in both new and longstanding (chronic) pain.
  • It has very few complications or adverse effects
  • You’ll likely return to your regular activities faster compared to having surgical alternatives
  • You don’t tend to experience any additional pain or discomfort after your session
  • There is no need to take time off work while having your shockwave treatment sessions.

What Happens In A Shockwave Appointment?

After it has been confirmed that you’re eligible for shockwave treatment for your injury and personal circumstances, and you confirm that you want to go ahead with the treatment, we’ll palpate around the injured area, identifying the target spots where the shockwave handpiece will be positioned. Then:

  • We apply gel to the area and position the device against your skin
  • We turn on the shockwave machine, and compressed air moves through the handpiece, causing the acoustic waves to radiate out through the gel and down into the target area.
  • One round of shockwave lasts for approximately 60-120 seconds, depending on the recommended number of ‘pulses’ specific to your injury and treatment area. We completed 2-3 rounds per foot
  • After the treatment, we finish any complementary therapies as per your management plan, such as strapping the foot
  • You’re good to go! You continue to follow the management plan until your return in one week for your next shockwave round

The number of shockwave appointments you’ll need really does depend on what your injury is, how severe it is, and how well you adhere to your overall treatment and recovery plan. We’ll be able to give you an estimate during your first appointment with us and we expect to see a reduction in your pain and symptoms every week. If we don’t see these results and you’ve completely complied with the rest of your specific management plan, we won’t continue with the treatment and will reassess the best way forward clinically for your recovery.

Does Shockwave Hurt?

When we use shockwave, we apply the handpiece to an area that is already damaged and injured. So, you may experience some tenderness during your treatment, although some people experience very menial or no discomfort. Any symptoms during the treatment are very short-lived and make sense - I mean, we are pressing against injured tissues, so it’s pretty logical that you may feel some discomfort. One of the great things about shockwave is that it’s completely under the control of your podiatrist - we have full control over the settings and intensity, and if, for whatever reason, it is too intense for you, we can adjust the levels accordingly.

Booking Your Shockwave Appointment

Before you have shockwave treatment, we need to assess your injury and know your diagnosis so that we can confirm whether shockwave therapy is indicated for you and your circumstances or if another treatment will yield the best results. 


To start, book your initial appointment online here or call us on 09 523 2333.

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