Overview

Shock Wave therapy is a safe, quick and non-invasive treatment using energy from sound waves to activate the self healing properties of the body and accelerate the recovery process.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

When you have ever experienced intense pain over the bottom of your heel whenever you wake up in the morning and take your first few steps, chances are that you have had plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain and affects approximately 1 in 10 people at some point during their lifetime. The pain is typically sharp and sudden and usually happens in only one foot, although both feet can be affected at the same time.

Shockwave Therapy:

Firstly, through a process known as cavitation, Shock Wave therapy stimulates the production of fibroblasts and tenocytes. These are the cells responsible for the healing of connective tissues such as tendons. The end result is tissue regeneration. Secondly, the Shock Waves stimulate microscopic circulation and therefore metabolism within the treatment area, which promotes healing and the breakdown of calcification deposits, also known as spurs. Lastly, Shock Wave therapy diminishes pain by over-stimulation of the nerves that send pain signals to the brain. To conduct the treatment for plantar fasciitis , we place the treatment probe over the affected area and deliver the required number of shocks. The treatment for plantar fasciitis is tolerable. Most patients will need about 2 to 3 sessions each 2 weeks apart. If you are suffering from plantar fasciitis and require treatment for plantar fasciitis , speak to your Doctor and ask if Shock Wave therapy is right for you.

What this means for a clinic visit in Malaysia

Plantar fasciitis is irritation of the thick band under the foot that supports the arch. The classic pain is sharp under the heel with the first steps in the morning or after sitting, then eases as you walk, and may return after a long day on hard floors. It is common in people who stand for work, who have recently increased running, or who wear flat shoes with little cushioning. Both feet can hurt, but one side is often worse.

Most cases settle over weeks to months without a procedure. Useful basics include relative rest from the activity that flared it, shoes with a slight heel and a firm heel counter, and stretching of the calf and plantar fascia. A clinician may add gel heel cups, taping, or a night splint if morning pain is severe. Weight change and tight calves are worth addressing because they keep loading the fascia. Imaging is not required for a typical story, but it is used if pain follows trauma or does not follow the usual pattern.

Shockwave therapy is one option when pain has lasted for months despite those measures. The device delivers pulses to the sore part of the heel. Treatment is uncomfortable for a few minutes and the heel can ache afterwards. It is usually paired with stretching, not offered as a one-off cure. Studies of chronic plantar fasciitis show that some patients report less pain after a course, while others do not. Ask how many sessions are planned, whether exercises are included, and what happens if you are no better after the course.

Heel pain that wakes you from sleep, follows a fall, or comes with redness and fever needs a different assessment. A stress fracture, nerve entrapment, or inflammatory arthritis can imitate fascia pain. Do not keep adding sessions of any therapy without a review if walking is getting harder. General screening context sits on our health screening page if heel pain is part of a wider joint or metabolic check.