Are steroid injections and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs really the only options for Plantar Fasciitis treatment?
Medica Institute offer minimally invasive, non-surgical, safe alternatives for Plantar Fasciitis treatment to get your life back on track without medication or steroid injections!

 

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a painful and debilitating condition that primarily affects athletes, people whose jobs require them to stand for long periods of time, and those who put heavy stress on their feet. It involves inflammation of the plantar fascia, the strands of connective tissue that run along the sole of the foot, linking the heel of the foot to the ball and toes.

The plantar fascia protects and relieves pressure from the bottom of your foot because it acts like a shock-absorbing bowstring. However, it can tear due to repetitive tension and stress. When it is stretched and torn, it becomes inflamed, resulting in plantar fasciitis.

The inflammation can be caused by trauma from an injury, or from overuse of the tissue. It usually manifests as sharp pain in the heel or sole of the foot and an inability to point the toes upward. If left untreated, it can lead to other and more severe orthopaedic conditions in the foot, shin, and knee.

 

How can Regenerative Therapy be used to treat Plantar fasciitis?

Traditional treatment for plantar fasciitis often required a combination of orthopaedic foot supports, physical therapy, and cortisone injections. Most people recover completely within a year. In extreme cases, surgery is used to release the tension on the plantar fascia.

However, the best way to actually heal the injury and provide long-lasting improvement is through orthobiologic Regenerative treatments such as Prolotherapy and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). For actual tears in the plantar fascia, mesenchymal cell treatment may also be a viable option. These treatments aim to stimulate the connective tissue’s ability to heal and regenerate the torn plantar fascia. This can permanently provide pain relief and prevent further damage as you continue to enjoy your daily physical activities.

These orthobiologic injections for plantar fasciitis often work better than the traditional cortisone shots, since they not only soothe the pain but can also promote regeneration of  damaged tissue. Repeated cortisone shots can actually lead to further damage to the affected tendons, but the same is not true of stem cell-based therapy.

 

Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy is a non-surgical treatment that involves targeted injections. The solution used in this treatment contains a local anaesthetic and concentrated dextrose (steroids are not used), which stimulates the tissues’ natural ability to repair.

Afterward, this may be followed by a stem cell treatment to aid in regeneration. Read about Prolotherapy here.

 

Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy

There is another non-surgical treatment for plantar fasciitis which involves platelet-rich plasma. This stimulates the tissue to release growth factors and attract other cells.

This is especially useful for helping stem cells concentrate on the damaged area of the connective tissue.

It is an autologous procedure where the platelets are harvested from the patient’s own blood. After separating the platelets in a centrifuge, it is injected into the source of pain or point of injury.

The key is to provide the treatments to not only the Plantar Fasciitis, but also the ankle when necessary. If you had a previous ankle injury, it is essential to heal both injuries to the point where the foot can return to normal, healthy function. That is the path to returning to all of the activities you enjoy that depend on a strong, painless foot and ankle.

Read more about Platelet-rich plasma – PRP therapy here.

 

In certain cases it may be a combination of more than one treatment protocol. For some patients however, the complete protocol is a series of injections in several treatment sessions. The choice of treatment is at the discretion of the Consultant and is based on your unique case. This treatment may however not be suitable for all patients and only after review of your individual cases can the Consultant be able to discuss your options. Please contact us for a consultation and complete assessment to determine whether or not your condition can be treated with these minimally invasive, non-surgical regenerative procedures.

 

Is this Treatment Safe?

Regenerative Therapy  for plantar fasciitis is a safe alternative to surgery and other traditional plantar fasciitis treatments. Since we only use Cells and PRP that were harvested from the same patient, the risk of infections or rejection is virtually non-existent.

 

What are the top Benefits of Non-surgical Regenerative Treatments?

With so many options out there, you may be wondering what benefits choosing Non-surgical Regenerative Treatments provides.  Over all Regenerative treatments are minimally invasive, non-surgical same day procedures with no risk of rejection, minimal recovery time and minimal worry. You are fully awake and ready to go home within a few hours after injections in the affected area.

 

Here are the top benefits to be aware of:

Read more..

Avoid surgery and its risks and many complications

Regenerative Therapy is a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure, which gives patients an alternative to painful surgery and lengthy recovery. The procedure is performed in an outpatient setting and only takes a few hours. No general anaesthesia is required and most patients don’t need post-operative pain medication. Also, patients typically return to work within a day or two and they resume physical activity much faster than after invasive surgery.

Minimal post-procedural recovery time

One of the most time consuming factors of any injury is not always the treatment itself, but actually the recovery time. With Regenerative therapies, there is far less risk involved than surgery and recovery time is much shorter compared to surgery.

No use of general anaesthesia

Do you not like the way general anaesthesia makes your feel? Or do you simply get anxious at the thought of being put under? Regenerative therapy may be just what you need as it does not require the use of general anaesthesia. It provides a safe increasingly effective non-surgical alternative to treating medical conditions using the body’s own natural ability to repair itself without the use of medication.

Same day procedure

The best part, after comprehensive examination and review of your case, blood tests & radio-imaging scans are done to establish a baseline for your pre-existing condition, is that our Regenerative Therapies are a non-invasive treatment and an outpatient same day procedure, where the Consultant will decide which line of Regenerative Therapy is most suited to your case. In certain cases it may be a combination of more than one treatment protocol. For some patients however, the complete protocol is a series of injections in several treatment sessions.

Safe procedures with No risk of rejection and No communicable disease transmission

Since you undergo an autologous transplant with the cells that originated within your own body, your immune system has no reason to attack them and is in turn much safer than other outside sources, there is no risk of contracting a transmittable infectious disease from a donor patient also. In fact, studies thus far have indicated no safety issues with fat-derived autologous (from self) cells. Because they are your own cells, the risk of rejection is eliminated.

Like any procedure, there is a minute risk of infection at the sample collection and at the injection site. To minimize that risk the procedure is carried out under strict sterile conditions.

Am I a candidate for the Medica Institute therapies?

In general, Regenerative Medica Institute Therapies can be utilised by anyone, regardless of the age, race, or gender. However, in order to determine if you are a good candidate and will benefit the most from Regenerative treatment, you will need to schedule an appointment with our Clinic to have an assessment done by our Consultant, who will review your medical records and determine if you are a qualified candidate for our therapy. The choice of treatment is then at the discretion of the Consultant and is based on your unique case.

 

Do Regenerative treatments or therapies work?

There are a number of studies that have been published in the Regenerative medicine demonstrating positive results from Regenerative treatments like Stem Cell therapy, PRP etc.

Regenerative therapies have now been utilised in clinical practice to treat degenerative knees, hips, shoulders and other joints for more than five years and are demonstrating excellent results. Patients are seeing marked reduction in pain as well as improvement in cartilage quality. A variety of well-founded clinical trials have been conducted on stem cell therapy for management and treatment of chronic pain. The trials concerning Regenerative therapies are widely published online (ex. on PubMed) and readily available for all to access. The use of Regenerative treatments are proving to be both a safe and effective means of treating many conditions. These treatments allow the body to heal and regenerate in ways that were thought impossible before. Regenerative technology provides a natural alternative to the use of medication and surgeries, which may be more harmful and invasive.

Regenerative therapy procedures are quickly becoming a first line treatment for chronic pain, degenerative joint disease, like arthritis or osteoarthritis, providing a minimally invasive option to avoid invasive surgical repair, and other various conditions. There are many Medica Stem Cell patient testimonials on our website who have experienced significant improvements on their condition for You to view.

 

When do I See Results?

What can I expect after Regenerative treatment?

Regenerative therapy for plantar fasciitis only takes a few hours to complete and is performed in an outpatient setting, no general anaesthesia is required and most patients don’t need post-operative pain medication.  Patients will be able to go home almost immediately after the injection is done. Since this therapy is an orthobiological treatment that requires time for the cells to restore the damaged areas in the foot, patients will not feel the effect of the injection immediately. On average, most patients will start to see signs of improvement in the form of reduced pain or increased function within 30 days.  This is due to the strong anti-inflammatory effect of the growth factors associated with adult mesenchymal cells. This anti-inflammatory effect lasts from 2-3 months. From there, you can see continued gradual improvement as the cells help provide healing to the affected area.

The first day after the treatment, you might experience mild discomfort at injection site which should not be restrictive, mild pain in the treatment area may persist for a day or two. This can be alleviated by rest and if needed simple pain killers may be prescribed.

Plantar fasciitis may or may not require repeat treatment. Typically it is best to wait 3-6 months before considering it. Most of the time repeat treatment is done because some improvement has been seen and more is sought.

Reviews of your progress may extend up to 6 months following the procedure. Reviews can be by means of a clinic visits or alternatively for your ease by video / phone call.

You will be asked during the period of follow up to keep an accurate record of your progress to compare to your starting point.

The final outcome of the treatment and extent of improvement varies from one patient to another depending on type and severity of the condition, age, etc…

 

Regenerative Therapy for plantar fasciitis may help patients who don’t respond to typical drug treatment, want to reduce their reliance on medication, or are looking for safe alternatives to traditional treatments. Regenerative treatments are not suitable for all conditions and all patients. The consultant will be able to advise if you are a suitable candidate.

Your first step to exploring your treatment options for plantar fasciitis is scheduling a consultation with our Consultant. To do so call us on 020 8168 2000 or alternatively book a consultation online or request a call back today!