Plantar Fascia Shockwave Treatment Toowoomba.

Address pain and injury with shockwave treatment — now available!

Experience Relief from Foot Pain with Plantar Fascia Shockwave Treatment !

You will likely already know that Optimise Health and The Podiatrist in Toowoomba are all about providing world-class podiatric care through innovative and dynamic treatments by health professionals. What you may not know, is that as of this year, we have officially added shockwave therapy to our list of services!

Because the term ‘shockwave’ may sound intimidating, we’re here today to answer all your questions about shockwave therapy and help you understand how it may help improve your pain levels, your injury, and your quality of life.

Plantar fasciitis is a familiar but often painful syndrome characterised by piercing pain at the heel, particularly with the first steps in the morning or after sitting for long periods. In patients with chronic plantar fasciitis, Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy is offered as an exceptionally effective, non-invasive mode of treatment. This novel treatment targets the damaged tissue, stimulating the patient’s own body to heal itself and resulting in significant pain relief, even in chronic conditions that have not responded to other therapies.

What Is Shockwave Therapy ?

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), or simply known as Shockwave therapy, is a nonsurgical procedure that uses acoustic waves to treat many musculoskeletal conditions. High-energy sound waves are formulated by a device and directed at the affected area of the body. When the shockwaves travel through the tissue, they cause microtrauma, which in turn triggers a cascade of biological responses.

The primary action mechanisms of shockwave therapy are:

Neovascularisation Stimulation: Shockwaves cause neovascularisation, increasing blood flow to the injured tissue. Improved blood flow brings in required nutrients and oxygen, which accelerates healing.
Reversal of Chronic Inflammation: Shockwave therapy reverses chronic inflammation through stimulation of cellular activities to convert chronic inflammation into an acute healing phase.
Calcification Dissolution: For conditions like chronic plantar fasciitis with an inclination for calcifications, shockwaves are applied to dissolve the deposits, which reduces pain and improves function.
Pain Mediator Dispersion: The therapy could disrupt pain-transmitting nerve fibres and reduce the level of Substance P, a pain-related neurotransmitter, causing immediate relief from pain.
Collagen Production: It initiates collagen production, an essential element in tissue strength and repair.

Shockwave therapy is a widely studied and evidence-based form of treatment that has become increasingly popular for its application in the management of chronic tendon and soft tissue pathologies.

What May Shockwave Therapy Treat ?

Also known as extracorporeal shockwave therapy or radial shockwave therapy, this non-invasive treatment is designed to assist clients suffering from a range of chronic conditions and musculoskeletal disorders. It aims to achieve this by promoting natural tissue healing.

Our podiatrists and our physiotherapists in Toowoomba and Warwick have found it may be beneficial for patients with conditions like:

Plantar Fasciitis & heel spurs
Proximal hamstring tendinopathy
Bursitis

Achilles tendinopathy
Jumper’s knee (or patella tendinopathy)
Shin splints

Calcified haematomas
Muscle strains
Osgood Schlatter Disease

Recalcitrant trigger points
Other forms of insertional tendinopathy

Foot Shock Wave Therapy Benefits

In patients with chronic pain in the foot, foot shockwave therapy is extremely effective with the following benefits:

Non-invasive: No surgery, no injections, and no anaesthesia are required, providing a risk-free alternative to surgery. Clinical trials have reported high success rates, particularly in chronic situations.
Pain relief: Most patients experience significant pain relief.
Decreased Healing Time: Activation of natural healing mechanisms can reduce healing time.
Low Downtime: People can normally carry on with their daily routines immediately after a session.
Long-lived Pain Relief: The therapy focuses on the root cause of the issue, resulting in lasting pain relief.

In most patients, shockwave therapy is a substitute for surgery.

How Shockwave Therapy
May Help !

Originally developed to treat kidney stones (or renal calculi), shockwave treatment is now used for many sub-acute and chronic conditions that affect the body. It is said to awaken the body’s natural healing response, assisting in treating the injured tissue rather than simply managing the pain.

Other benefits that shockwave therapy may offer include:

Reduction in pain
Improvements in blood flow & lymphatic circulation

Improvements to range of motion
Cell regeneration

Reduction in muscle tightness
Stimulates collagen production

Release of painful trigger points
Breaks down calcium build-ups

Many patients prefer shockwave therapy, as it avoids the need for medication, steroid injections, and even surgery. In fact, you’re typically able to return to normal activities as soon as 48 hours after your session.

Interested in finding out more? Let us explain how shockwave therapy works and if it may be an option for you.

How Does Shockwave Therapy Work ?

If you have already received some kind of treatment but it has had very little improvement, radial shockwave therapy may be recommended.

Your podiatrist will begin by smoothing some gel over the area to be treated before applying a hand-held device and slowly moving it around. This device uses radial pressure waves to transfer a high dose of energy to the area, which is said to stimulate the body’s natural healing response.

The device may make some clicking sounds as it operates, but don’t worry — this is completely normal.

For some people, a single five to ten-minute session may be enough to reduce their pain. For others, notable improvement may be reported after around three sessions.

Your Shockwave Treatment Questions Answered .

What effects does shockwave therapy produce?

Shockwave may be used on both new and long-standing injuries in an effort to:

Reduce pain
Reduce chronic inflammation
Facilitate the body’s healing and repair process
Encourage the formation of new blood vessels, thereby increasing oxygenation of the injury site
Stimulate collagen production

What conditions may shockwave help?

Shockwave therapy aims to address sporting injuries and musculoskeletal disorders, as well as overuse injuries that occur from repetitive daily activities. These include (but certainly aren’t limited to):

Plantar fasciitis
Heel spurs
Achilles tendinopathy
Other tendinopathies
Bursitis
Calf injuries
Hamstrings
Trigger points
Shin splints
Bone repairs

Shockwave is being used worldwide to treat a variety of painful conditions within the entire body. It is due to our scope of practice as podiatrists that we only use shockwave on the feet and legs.

If you want to use shockwave to help with pain in your upper body like your shoulder, book an appointment with our team here.

Which conditions can shockwave help?

The short answer – so many! It has shown superior results when it comes to sporting injuries, as well as overuse injuries that occur from repetitive daily activities. These include (but certainly aren’t limited to):

Plantar fasciitis
Heel spurs
Achilles tendinopathy
Other tendinopathies
Bursitis
Calf injuries
Hamstrings
Trigger points
Shin splints
Bone repairs

To clarify, shockwave is being used worldwide to treat a variety of painful conditions within the entire body! It is due to our scope of practice as Podiatrists that we only use shockwave on the feet and legs.

If you’re wanting to use shockwave to help with pain in your upper body like your shoulder, book an appointment with our team here.

How does shockwave therapy compare to other treatments on the market?

This is best answered by sharing the benefits of shockwave therapy:

No need for injections
No medications
Non-invasive
Non-surgical
Reduces pain and improves healing
Stimulates the body’s processes to facilitate repair

Does shockwave therapy hurt?

Some people may experience mild tenderness during treatment which stops as soon as the treatment is over, and others may experience no pain at all. We’ve noticed that the more severe and painful your injury is to begin with, the greater the likelihood of some tenderness being present — which makes sense as technically someone is pressing (gently) into your bruised or damaged area.

Don’t worry — because we’re able to control the settings and intensity of the pulses, we can adjust accordingly if we need to.

How do I know if shockwave treatment is right for me?

The first step is to get assessed by one of our podiatrists. Based on your history and symptoms, we aim to determine whether shockwave therapy may be likely to help your injury, and if so, we’ll get you started!

It is important to note that shockwave isn’t a standalone treatment. It’s part of a comprehensive treatment plan to address your problem and reduce the likelihood of it returning. The plan may also include supporting your feet with the right footwear, strapping the foot, and more.

Why did you begin offering shockwave therapy?

We love seeing the best outcomes for our clients. We are always learning new techniques and taking courses to do so. Every once in a while, we come across a piece of technology. We conduct our research, bring it in for a trial, and if our clients and podiatrists are happy with it, we purchase the equipment to make it a regular offering.

When it came to shockwave, this machine absolutely exceeded the expectations of both our team and our clients. We completely understand why so many clinics offer this service around the world and we’re proud to do so now too for our community in Toowoomba and Darling Downs as part of our mission to bring world-class locally.

Why Choose Optimise Health ?

State-of-the-Art Facilities

We are big believers that modern treatment requires modern facilities. We utilise the latest technologies and treatments in an effort to get our patients back on their feet in no time.

Proactive Treatment

Prevention is far better than a cure, which is why we take a proactive and preventative approach to treatment. We focus on underlying factors, risk reduction, and education.

Multi-Disciplinary Approach

We are proud to have a range of allied health professionals on our team, allowing us to offer a variety of treatment options to suit our clients and their goals.

Get the Lowdown on Shockwave Therapy .

Do you have an injury or condition that’s been bothering you for a while with very little improvement from other treatment methods?

Shockwave therapy may be something to consider. Make an appointment to see the team at Optimise Health today and we will be able to assess whether shockwave treatment is something that may work for you.

Our Toowoomba Location.

Visit our Toowoomba clinic, located at 14 Ipswich Street, where our team of specialists at Optimise Health are available throughout the week to support your health and wellbeing.