Category: Heel Pain
Mar
16

Why Does My Heel Hurt?

Why Does My Heel Hurt?

If you live with heel pain, you are far from alone. It is estimated that heel pain, including any pain or discomfort experienced at or near the back of the foot, affects 10% of all adults. While seniors and athletes are more prone to painful heel conditions, no one is immune from this common problem. We see patients of all ages and from all backgrounds at the Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida, all of whom are looking for relief from pain and limitations on their mobility.  

As with any medical issue, the first step to resolving heel pain is understanding the underlying causes. Heel pain can result from trauma, injury, or several other conditions. The best course of treatment will depend on an accurate diagnosis, which is why you should schedule an evaluation with an experienced podiatrist if heel pain has become a constant or recurring presence in your life.

There are several reasons why your heel may hurt, but the most common causes of heel pain that impact millions of Americans every year and might be the source of your discomfort include:

  • Plantar Fasciitis. The plantar fascia is the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot and connects the toes to the heel bone. Plantar fasciitis is a biomechanical condition caused by intense and ongoing pressure that damages the plantar fascia and causes inflammation, pain, or stiffness at the sole of the foot. It can also manifest itself as a stabbing pain on the bottom of the foot near the heel.
  • Achilles Tendonitis. Found at the back of your ankle, the Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in your entire body. It connects the back of your lower calf muscles to your foot, providing the power you need when you are pushing off while walking or running. Achilles tendonitis, also called Achilles tendinothapy, is usually the result of overuse, such as training too hard without giving the tendon time to recover from the strain put on it. It can be exacerbated by other factors, such as poor footwear, soft running surfaces, or running uphill for extended periods.
  • Heel Bursitis. Closely linked to Achilles tendonitis, heel bursitis is a condition caused by the swelling of the bursa, which is a fluid-filled sac found at the back of the heel bone.The bursa is where the large Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. When the bursa becomes inflamed or irritated, usually from overuse,it can cause swelling, warmth, pain, and tenderness at the back of the heel.

Additional reasons why your heel may hurt include:

  • Calcaneal Heel Spur Syndrome
  • Calcaneal Heel Nerve Entrapment
  • Arthritis of the Heel
  • Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Heel Fracture or Stress Fracture
  • Flexor Tendonitis/Tendinosis
  • Foot Injury
  • Flimsy or Insufficiently Supported Footwear
  • Obesity
  • Bruising from activity on hard surfaces

Don’t Live With Heel Pain Anymore. Schedule Your Appointment With The Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida Today.

When you live with heel pain, every step can be a painful reminder of the problem. The good news is there are non-invasive and minimally invasive treatment options that can address and resolve heel pain.

The new Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida, a specialized extension of JAWS Healthcare, is the first specialty care center in the region to focus exclusively on treating heel pain and its underlying conditions. Using the latest technology and leveraging the experience, knowledge, and skills of our exceptional podiatrists, we bring relief, increased mobility, and a better quality of life to patients who struggle every day with heel pain, discomfort, and other problems.

Please call us today at (954) 922-7333 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

Dec
30

Ozone / Prolozone Therapy for Heel Pain: Uses & Benefits

Ozone / Prolozone Therapy for Heel Pain: Uses & Benefits

Over the past decade, medicine has made exciting advancements in regenerative injection therapies. These minimally invasive, non-surgical approaches harness the body’s own natural healing processes to relieve pain, repair tissue, and restore function.

One of the regenerative therapies we offer at JAWSpodiatry leverages the body’s need for oxygen to repair and heal damaged joints and tissues. Specifically, prolozone therapy allows us to inject ozone, a naturally occurring, highly reactive molecule consisting of three atoms of oxygen, into damaged ligaments. At JAWSpodiatry, we use this innovative approach to address a range of foot, ankle, and heel pain issues.

What is Prolozone?

The name prolozone is derived from the Latin word “prolix,” which means to proliferate, regenerate, and rebuild. It is so named because it proliferates, regenerates, and rebuilds new cartilage and ligament tissue in areas where they have become damaged or weak.

Ozone is, in effect, a naturally occuring, supercharged form of oxygen. Where oxygen is comprised of two attached molecules – O2 – ozone adds one additional molecule – O3. When we inject ozone into the damaged foot and ankle area, the single molecule of oxygen splits from the other two molecules creating high levels of regular oxygen plus single oxygen molecules in the tissue.

How Does Polozone Help Heal Foot and Ankle Injuries?

Our bodies need oxygen in our bloodstream for a whole range of reasons. This includes healing after we have suffered injury or trauma to ligaments, the “rubber bands” that hold the bones, joints, and intervertebral discs together. When ligaments become weak either due to injury or simply the passage of time, they don’t do their job as well. In turn, this leads to pain in the bones, discs, and joints that the ligament is supposed to hold together. 

These weakened or damaged tissues typically have low oxygen levels and decreased blood flow which limits the degree and progression of healing. Prolozone therapy works by increasing oxygen to the area around these damaged connective tissues.

When we increase oxygen levels and blood flow through prolozone treatments, critical cells rapidly grow and lead to the natural healing of painful foot, ankle, and knee injuries. Not only does prolozone therapy deliver optimized oxygen flow to help speed necessary nutrients to the painful area, but it also stimulates fibroblastic and chondroblastic cellular activity, further enhancing the repair cycle by increasing available oxygen and nutrients to the newly formed tissue.

What to Expect During Prozolone Treatment

When you arrive at our comfortable offices, one of our skilled podiatrists will thoroughly examine the area causing you pain. We sometimes use local anesthesia to ease any discomfort, though the minimally invasive treatment is largely pain-free. To maximize healing and improve outcomes, most patients usually require multiple sessions.

In some cases, we use ozone in combination with other regenerative procedures such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Since ozone must be made and used quickly, we produce the healing molecules just before performing the treatment.

While traditional approaches treat the symptoms of foot and ankle pain, regenerative procedures like prolozone therapy treat the underlying cause of pain and promote true, enduring healing. 

Call JAWSpodiatry Today to Learn More About Ozone / Prolozone Therapy  

If you’d like to learn more about how ozone / prolozone therapy may offer a solution to your foot and ankle problems, call JAWSpodiatry today at (954) 922-7333 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

Nov
11

Bone Spurs: What Cause Them and How Do You Treat Them?

Bone Spurs: What Cause Them and How Do You Treat Them?

The heel bone, or calcaneus, is the largest bone in the foot and is the first part of your body to contact the ground when you walk. Every step you take – and you take lots of them every day – is yet another hard impact on your heel bone, which is also supporting your entire body weight at the same time. As tough and resilient as your heels are and need to be to do all this work, they aren’t indestructible, especially as the years pile up.

It is no surprise then that heel problems and the pain that usually comes with them are a common affliction, especially as we get older. Perhaps the two most prevalent sources of heel pain are plantar fasciitis and heel spurs, two closely associated conditions that can lead to chronic pain and discomfort, mobility challenges, and a general diminishing of your quality of life.

What Are Heel Spurs?

Also called calcaneal spurs, heel spurs are bony, pointed outgrowths that develop on the heel bone because of the buildup of calcium deposits on the heel bone’s underside.

Heel spurs can appear either at the back of the heel or under the heel, below the arch of the foot. Heel spurs that develop at the back of the heel are frequently associated with inflammation of the Achilles tendon (tendinitis). When spurs manifest themselves under the heel and the sole, it is often due to problems with the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue which runs along the bottom of your foot, connecting the heel bone to the toes. Plantar fasciitis, which can lead to heel spurs, is a biomechanical condition caused by intense and ongoing pressure that damages the tissue and causes inflammation, pain, or stiffness at the sole.

Causes of Heel Spurs

Spurs frequently appear in athletes and other individuals whose exercise regimens or daily activities involve hard and frequent impacts on the feet and heels.

You have a higher chance of developing heel spurs if you:

  • Have an abnormal walking gait that puts excessive stress on the heel bone, ligaments, and nerves near the heel
  • Run or jog regularly, especially on hard surfaces
  • Wear poorly fitting or badly worn shoes, especially shoes with inadequate arch support
  • Carry excess weight or are obese

Treating Heel Spurs

At the Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida, we can use non-invasive treatments like the stretching, physical therapy, orthotics, regenerative procedures, and over-the-counter pain relievers to effectively treat heel spurs in about 90% of cases.

If pain and problems persist after these treatment efforts to treat the condition, we also offer the following in-office services to help our patients get relief from heel pain:

  • Platelet-rich plasma injections to decrease the thickness of the plantar fascia. This procedure usually involves two to seven days of recovery time with no weight-bearing.
  • Stem cell therapy that can promote tissue healing, repair, and regeneration. Patients usually see noticeable improvement in heel pain in two to six weeks.

For more severe cases, surgery may be the best way to lower inflammation, relieve pain, and restore full mobility.

Heel Pain? Schedule an Appointment With the Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida Today.

The new Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida, a specialized extension of JAWSpodiatry, is the first specialty care center in the region to focus exclusively on treating heel pain and its underlying conditions. We offer patients the most advanced treatment choices available. Using the latest technology and leveraging the experience, knowledge, and skills of our exceptional podiatrists, we bring relief, increased mobility, and a better quality of life to patients who struggle every day with heel pain, discomfort, and other problems.

Please call us today at (954) 922-7333 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

Oct
21

What Is Amniotic Therapy and How Is It Useful?

What Is Amniotic Therapy and How Is It Useful

At the Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida, we recommend and implement the most effective and innovative treatments to resolve the help pain and discomfort that severely hinder our patients’ quality of life. We know that surgery is rarely the first choice for our patients if other viable and less-invasive options can resolve the issue.

Many of the minimally-invasive treatments we offer as an alternative to traditional surgery focus on using and enhancing the body’s natural regenerative processes to relieve heel pain and repair tendon and tissue damage. One of the regenerative medicine techniques we employ involves the use of amniotic stem cells.

What is Amniotic Therapy and How Does It Help With Heel Pain?  

Stem cells are the jack-of-all-trades handymen of our bodies and are found in abundance in amniotic fluid. They contain powerful anti-inflammatory properties that can help restore healthy functioning and repair damaged tissue throughout the body while providing pain relief at the same time.

Amniotic fluid the stem cells in contains have several properties that make it particularly effective at healing the damaged or degenerated tissues that are often the cause behind heel pain. Additionally, amniotic membrane tissues contain groups of connected proteins called collagen matrices around which new, healthy tissues can grow.

What Is Involved in Amniotic Therapy for Heel Pain?

Here’s how amniotic stem cell therapy works: We receive amniotic tissue from elective donors. All amniotic stem cell donors must go through an extensive screening process approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) before we can use them in therapeutic treatments.

We then take these approved and screened stem cells and transform them into injections. We inject the cells into the injured tissue, stimulating the work that the body is already doing. 

Amniotic stem cell therapy offers patients a tremendous, non-invasive opportunity to resolve heel pain or speed up recovery after an injury. You should discuss with your podiatrist whether this treatment is right for you.

Call The Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida Today to Learn More About Amniotic Therapy

If you’d like to learn more about amniotic therapy and whether you are a good candidate for this innovative treatment, call the Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida today at (954) 922-7333 or contact us online to schedule a heel pain consultation.

Oct
14

How Do PRP Injections Help with Heel Pain?

How Do PRP Injections Help with Heel Pain?

At the new Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida, we are committed to using the latest, most innovative treatments available to address heel pain, discomfort, and other issues. One of the most promising and non-invasive solutions to heel pain involves using the body’s natural healing processes to repair the problems and repair the tissue that lay at the source of the problem.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) is being used to resolve a wide range of injuries and conditions, proving itself safe and effective and providing quicker and more complete healing. We are now seeing the benefits of PRP therapy for heel pain, specifically in the treatment of sub-acute & chronic plantar fasciitis & Achilles tendonitis, which are two of the primary conditions that lead to heel pain, discomfort, and mobility challenges.

What is Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy?

The body’s first response after an injury to soft tissue is to rush platelet cells to the affected tissue. Platelets are the clotting cells of our blood, but they are also enriched with powerful healing and growth factors that initiate repair and recovery and provide assistance to stem cells in damaged muscle, tendon, and ligaments.

PRP therapy takes that natural process and essentially turbocharges it. Here’s how it works. We take a sample of blood from the patient and then place the sample in a centrifuge where the platelets are separated from other elements of the blood. We then inject that platelet-rich plasma into the injured heel tissue, stimulating the work that the body is already doing. 

Since we use your own blood rather than blood from a third-party donor, there is no risk of transmissible infection. The procedure is non-surgical and typically takes only a few hours including preparation, injection, and recovery. No anesthesia is necessary nor is any significant recovery time involved.

Does PRP Work For Heel Pain?

Patients may feel initial reductions in pain and discomfort within the first few weeks after treatment, with pain diminishing further as the healing process progresses.

Research studies and clinical practice have demonstrated that PRP therapy can be very effective at relieving pain and returning patients to their healthy, pain-free lives. Both ultrasound and MRI images have shown definitive tissue repair after PRP therapy. As this treatment is further refined, there may be no need for surgery in cases where that was once the only viable option.

Whether on its own or in conjunction with surgery and other treatments, PRP offers patients the opportunity to reduce heel pain. You should discuss with your physician whether PRP is right for you.

Schedule Your Heel Pain Consultation Today

If you’d like to learn more about PRP therapy and whether you are a good candidate for this innovative therapy, call the Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida today at (954) 922-7333 or contact us online to schedule a heel pain consultation.

Oct
07

Top 3 Causes of Heel Pain

Top 3 Causes of Heel Pain

Of the 26 separate bones in each of your feet, the heel bone is the biggest and arguably the most important. The heel bone provides the strength, support, and balance necessary for your feet to work properly. Given its heavy workload, it is not uncommon for the heel to develop problems, especially in active individuals or those who spend a lot of time on their feet. These issues can vary in cause and severity, but heel problems almost always involve pain, discomfort, and limitations on mobility or the ability to walk.  

If you are experiencing heel pain, the first step in addressing the issue is understanding the reason behind your condition, and the first step in learning why you’re suffering and what you can do about it is to schedule an evaluation with an experienced and skilled podiatrist.

There are several culprits that are to blame for the heel pain that slows down millions of Americans every year, but the top three causes are:

  • Plantar Fasciitis. The plantar fascia is the thick band of tissue which runs along the bottom of your foot, connecting the heel bone to the toes. Plantar fasciitis is a biomechanical condition caused by immense and ongoing pressure that damages that tissue and causes inflammation, pain, or stiffness at the sole of the foot. Common among runners, plantar fasciitis often manifests itself as a stabbing pain on the bottom of the foot near the heel.
  • Achilles Tendonitis. Found at the back of your ankle, the Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in your entire body. It connects the back of your lower calf muscles to your foot, providing the power you need when you are pushing off while walking or running. Achilles tendonitis, also called Achilles tendinothapy, is usually the result of overuse, such as training too hard without giving the tendon time to recover from the strain put on it. It can be exacerbated by other factors, such as poor footwear, soft running surfaces, or running uphill for extended periods.
  • Heel Bursitis. Closely linked to Achilles tendonitis, heel bursitis is a condition caused by the swelling of the bursa, which is a fluid-filled sac found at the back of the heel bone.The bursa is where the large Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. When the bursa becomes inflamed or irritated, usually from overuse,it can cause swelling, warmth, pain, and tenderness at the back of the heel.

Additional reasons you may be experiencing heel pain include:

  • Calcaneal Heel Spur Syndrome
  • Calcaneal Heel Nerve Entrapment
  • Arthritis of the Heel
  • Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Heel Fracture or Stress Fracture
  • Flexor Tendonitis/Tendinosis
  • Foot Injury
  • Flimsy or Insufficiently supported Footwear
  • Obesity
  • Bruising from activity on hard surfaces

You Don’t Need to Live With Heel Pain Anymore!

When you are living with heel pain, every step can be a painful reminder of the problem. The good news is there are non-invasive and minimally invasive treatment options that can address and resolve heel pain.

The new Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida, a specialized extension of JAWS Healthcare, is the first specialty care center in the region to focus exclusively on treating heel pain and its underlying conditions. We offer patients the most advanced treatment choices available. Using the latest technology and leveraging the experience, knowledge, and skills of our exceptional podiatrists, we bring relief, increased mobility, and a better quality of life to patients who struggle every day with heel pain, discomfort, and other problems.

Call the Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida Today

You shouldn’t have to live with heel pain – and you don’t have to. Please call us today at (954) 922-7333 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

Sep
02

Introducing the New Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida

Introducing the New Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida

JAWSpodiatry, one of South Florida’s premier podiatric health practices, is proud to build on its tradition of exceptional care and expand our ability to serve patients by announcing the opening of the new Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida.

The first specialty care center in the region to focus exclusively on treating heel pain and its underlying conditions, the Advanced Heel Pain Centers offer patients the most advanced treatment options available. Using the latest state-of-the-art technology and leveraging the experience, knowledge, and skills of our exceptional podiatrists, we bring relief, increased mobility, and a better quality of life to those struggling with heel pain, discomfort, and other problems.

Providing advanced examinations and diagnostic testing in our comfortable and welcoming facility, our dedicated team of foot and ankle specialists will conduct a comprehensive consultation and diagnostic evaluation that identifies the source of your problems.  We also take the time to understand the challenges you face, the concerns you have, and your goals for treatment.

Working closely with you, we will then develop an approach that offers optimal results without invasive surgery whenever possible. Our holistic approach to heel pain is designed around delivering an individualized treatment plan tailored to each patient.

Over the past decade, the options for treating heel pain without surgery have expanded exponentially. Even surgical techniques have become less invasive while still effectively repairing damage and relieving pain. The experts at the Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida have integrated these cutting-edge treatments into our practice with great success, allowing us to offer the very best solutions for our patients.

Some of the advanced heel pain treatment options we provide include:

  • Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
  • Adipose (fat-derived) / BMAC (Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate) Stem Cell Injection Therapy
  • Amniotic Therapy
  • Ozone Therapy
  • Minor Ozonated Auto-hemotherapy
  • Low /High-Level Shockwave Therapy
  • Percutaneous Micro-tenotomy (deep needling)
  • Percutaneous Plantar Fasciotomy
  • Prolotherapy
  • Traumeel Therapy
  • Botox Therapy

If you have made other efforts or sought other treatments for your heel pain and have yet to resolve the issue or reduce your pain, we welcome the opportunity to help. As leaders in the field of podiatric medicine and surgery, our physicians take pride in offering their patients advanced options that are non-invasive or minimally invasive to help cure heel pain.

Get Rid of Heel Pain. Call the Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida Today.

At the Advanced Heel Pain Centers of South Florida, we are experts in the care and treatment of heel problems. You shouldn’t have to live with heel pain – and you don’t have to. Please call us today at (954) 922-7333 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

Questions? Contact our office today: (954) 922-7333