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Shock Wave Therapy in Treating the Heel Spur
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Under the calcaneal spur is meant the ossification of the tendon of the plantar muscle, localized in the area of its attachment to the calcaneus. The cause of the most common is aseptic inflammation in the plantar fascia. Occur in the place where the tissue is placed the greatest load. Causes severe pain in the area of the heel, which intensifies when walking, especially at the very beginning, when a person just gets on his leg. The spur needs to be treated, because the disease usually only progresses, causing an increase in pain and its possible spread to the entire foot. Today, shock wave therapy is widely used in the treatment of the heel spur. She helped to get rid of this problem for many people. The procedure is effective, takes a little time, facilitates the condition.
Many experts suggest that the calcaneal spur develops as a result of aging. It is quite often observed in people over 40 years of age and very rarely in children and young people. It can be a consequence of concomitant diseases. For example, a spur often develops in persons suffering from spinal diseases, chronic inflammatory joint diseases, metabolic disorders, especially if it affects the condition and vascular permeability. UVT helps to overcome the consequences of these diseases, restores the cellular structure.
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Indications for the procedure
The procedure is performed with flat feet, heel spurs, joint diseases, and other pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. It is carried out in all cases of the appearance of bone outgrowths, seals, and also with a pronounced vascular network on the legs.
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Preparation
The procedure does not require any special training. You may need to pre-treat the skin of the feet a few days before the procedure: scrub, pilling, which will eliminate coarse skin particles, normalize skin permeability and local blood circulation. But this is not a prerequisite.
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Technique of the shock wave therapy of calcaneal spur
During the procedure, an ultrasonic wave is used. In this case, the cartilage of the bone is resisted. Over time, the growths dissolve on their own.
It also improves the functioning of blood vessels, tissues receive more oxygen, nutrients, more intensively toxins and metabolic products are released. This leads to the fact that the tissue begins to function more actively, metabolic and regenerative abilities are restored, resorption occurs more quickly.
Bones acquire elasticity and elasticity, as a result of which there is no trauma in tension and loads.
A great advantage is that there is no need for hospitalization. The procedure is carried out in clinics, outpatient. Passes absolutely painlessly, according to the principle of the method, is closest to the procedure of ultrasound.
The doctor palpates the focus of inflammation, determines the place of greatest education and the maximum pain syndrome. Usually this is the central part of the lower surface of the heel. Much less often, this syndrome is localized in lower sites. Then proceed to the actual procedure, directly affecting the focus of inflammation. In addition, the shock wave blocks the patient's pain syndrome, which greatly facilitates the human condition. The wave tends to spread across all tissues and internal organs.
On the equipment set the necessary parameters, on the area to be processed, a gel is applied, which improves the conductivity of the waves. The sensor emitting ultrasound is pressed tightly against the skin, and this area is treated.
How many sessions are needed?
For treatment, an average of 7 procedures are required. The duration of the procedure ranges from 5 to 20 minutes, determined by the individual characteristics of the body, as well as the severity of the disease. Conducted sessions with a break of 3-7 days, for which the restoration of damaged tissues and resorption of the seal occurs. The procedure is postponed for some time, or there is an increase in the break in the event that the pain syndrome increases (until the pain subsides).
Contraindications to the procedure
The procedure is not carried out during pregnancy, with a violation of blood coagulability, fragility of blood vessels, as well as against inflammatory, infectious, purulent processes in surrounding tissues. Contraindication is the general unsatisfactory state of health and body condition, catarrhal, infectious or somatic disease in the acute phase.
Also it is not carried out with the presence of a pacemaker and oncological diseases. Also, with caution should be given to people with mental imbalances, expressed disorders of the psyche and the nervous system, with a disturbed heart rhythm. The presence of blood clots, thrombi, especially those that block the lumen of the blood vessel, intoxication and acute infections, are also considered as relative contraindications.
Consequences after the procedure
The procedure is easily tolerated without causing any complications. After the procedure, the pain syndrome is noticeably reduced, metabolic processes in the heel area are normalized, regeneration is started, seals are absorbed. Hospitalization procedure does not require, it is performed quickly and without pain. Allows you to eliminate the spur, not allowing surgical intervention. In addition to treating spurs, it has an additional effect on the whole organism, improving health, normalizing the state of the immune system, which significantly increases the resistance and endurance of the body. This allows you to quickly restore health and improve the quality of life.
Care after the procedure
After the procedure, no special care is required. The patient can start the habitual way of life immediately, immediately after the procedure. The only thing that is required is to reduce the physical load from the heel for the entire course of treatment. For this purpose, it is advisable to wear special soft shoes, special orthopedic insoles.
To prevent the re-emergence of spurs, it is recommended after the end of treatment, constantly train the muscles of the heel, foot. For this, there are special exercises that will help pick up the instructor of therapeutic physical training. It is useful to do swimming. Positively affect the classics of classical hatha yoga, qigong, as these gymnastics allow you to have the necessary level of exercise on the body while maintaining moderation, dosage and softness of impact.
Hatha yoga, yoga therapy effectively combine dynamic and static exercises and complexes, which provide a full-fledged training effect without causing damage and overstrain of tissues. There is a system of respiratory, relaxation exercises that will allow to cleanse the body, accelerate the renegeration of damaged tissues, will promote the resorption of seals and ossification.
It is important to wear comfortable shoes with the use of special orthopedic insoles and insteps. A prerequisite is the timely treatment of concomitant diseases, especially those that affect the musculoskeletal system. It is important to avoid injuries, joint damage, limbs, you can not overload the foot. You need to learn how to properly distribute the weight (center of the foot). Useful preventive massage of the feet, in particular, stop. It is also necessary to keep the weight within normal limits.
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Reviews
If you analyze reviews, it can be noted that many people suffer from a calcaneal spur, and getting rid of it is very difficult. Practically every patient had to try many methods of treatment, but all of them are ineffective. The use of shock wave therapy does not come immediately. Usually it is used when conservative methods are ineffective. This is a relatively modern method.
All who applied it, are satisfied. The procedure has no side effects, complications. After it immediately comes a significant relief, the pain decreases. Also, as advantages, many note that the procedure does not require preliminary preparation, and a special course after the procedure. Many patients noted that walking after a full course becomes much easier, there is no pain, feelings of puffiness, discomfort. The procedure is quick, takes no more than 20 minutes, after it you can immediately go on your own business.
Many are prescribed shock wave therapy in combination with other methods, but studies have shown that this does not make sense, since the effect is the same as in those patients who did not receive additional treatment. In about 2 months the spur and the residual phenomena disappear completely. As practice shows, the use of separately only conservative therapy, without UVT, does not give practically no results.
One woman writes that she did not manage to get rid of the spur in the help of conservative therapy for quite some time. She tried all the medications prescribed by the doctor, went to the physiotherapy room, and used medicines. At home, I myself resorted to folk remedies, for example, did warming up, alternating lotions with foot baths. As a basis used medicines prescribed by a doctor, vegetable decoctions. But there was no result. Then a friend with a similar problem, advised to undergo UHT, she was appointed about half a year ago.
The woman changed her doctor, chose a different clinic, where she was assigned UHT. The result did not keep itself waiting. As early as the second day, the pain subsided considerably, it was possible to rest on his heel. Approximately after the 5 procedure began to feel much better, even a feeling of lightness, vigor not only in the legs, but in the whole body. The course consisted of 7 procedures. After them the spur completely ceased to disturb.
Of the negative reviews, only one was found. According to Ekaterina from Kazan, she twice tried to cure her spur with injections, as well as once with conventional ultrasound therapy. Shockwave therapy in the treatment of the heel spur also proved ineffective. None of the therapies did not bring the expected results. Pain resembling nails in the heel, continued to torment her and after treatment. Did not help and medication. He suffered from a calcaneal spur for 4 years. After that, we went with my husband to the sea, it was there that the pain disappeared on its own, and no longer bothers the girl.