Howard Schaengold, DPM
Sammamish, WA 98074
OUR SERVICES
Plateau Foot & Ankle Clinic offers a full array of podiatric services to help you maintain healthy feet. you can read more on this page about specific services.
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Dr. Schaengold has been trained and is qualified to administer in-office Extra Corporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) for non-surgical treatment of heel pain and plantar fasciitis. For more information on this treatment, please read What is ESWT.
New Method for Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis/Heel Pain
available at The Plateau Foot and Ankle Clinic
Commonly referred to as heel spurs, plantar fasciitis is a painful and often debilitating condition that afflicts more the 2.5 million people in the United States each year. The condition can disable professional athletes or normally active and even inactive people alike. Treatment options to date have been inadequate for many sufferers.
Based on breakthrough technology that has been effectively treating urinary stones for more than 20 years, Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) has been used to provide sufferers with relief. The device sends high-energy shock waves through the foot and jumpstarts the healing process by regenerating blood vessels in the injured areas as well as providing an analgesic effect. This non invasive, in-office procedure often requires only a single 30-minute session. The equipment we use is the first and only shock wave therapy device with built in ultrasound, enabling caregivers to pinpoint the precise treatment area without guesswork.
Dr. Schaengold calls Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy a safe and effective alternative to the traditional treatment methods available for plantar fasciitis. By offering this treatment at Plateau Foot and Ankle Clinic, we're able to help patients get back to their active lifestyles.
Plantar fasciitis can be caused by various factors, including changes in physical activity, shoes with poor arch support, excess weight, sudden injury or spending too much time on the feet. Some sufferers liken their pain to the sensation of walking barefoot on a rocky beach. Traditional treatments are only sporadically effective and include anti-inflammatory medicines, steroid injections, stretching, ice, physical therapy, specially made heel cushions and orthotics. Surgery is sometimes a last resort, although that too, is not a guarantee towards resolving symptoms.
Many insurance companies will allow ESWT and will cover a portion or all of this type of treatment as an appropriate alternative to surgery. We would be happy to check with your individual plan to help determine your individual benefits. For more information about the treatment or to schedule an appointment, please contact our office at 425-868-3338.