You have a thick band of tissue that runs from your heel to the base of your toes called the plantar fascia. With age and activity, that tissue can develop micro tears that worsen over time and cause sharp foot pain, especially after you’ve been sleeping or sitting for a while.
One of the most common symptoms of plantar fasciitis is the telltale “first step of the morning” pain. We treat folks with plantar fasciitis every day here at Coastal Ortho. With three locations in Torrance and one in El Segundo, we’ve become the go-to source for all types of orthopedic conditions, including plantar fasciitis.
Our team always begins with the most conservative treatments, such as icing, modifying your activities, splinting, and taping. These measures often reduce inflammation and allow your plantar fascia to heal. If these treatments don’t provide adequate relief and your condition becomes chronic, surgery may be necessary to detach the plantar fascia from the bone.
We’re all for avoiding surgery when possible, so we offer an innovative, non-surgical option to help your plantar fascia heal — platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection therapy. Here’s what you need to know.
PRP injections may sound like a newfangled treatment, but it’s been around since the 1970s. Platelet-rich plasma therapy is simply a way to boost your body’s own healing properties by concentrating the platelets in your blood.
Studies show that PRP is an effective treatment for damaged soft tissues — more successful than steroid injections in many cases — so it’s a perfect fit for plantar fasciitis.
The process is simple and painless. We draw a small amount of blood from your arm, process it in a high-speed centrifuge that separates your blood into layers, and extract only the layer that contains the growth factors and other healing properties.
We then inject that concentrated serum into the damaged plantar fascia, where it increases circulation, reduces inflammation, and accelerates healing.
PRP injection therapy offers safe and proven relief for many types of orthopedic injuries, including strained muscles, tendonitis, and osteoarthritis. It also effectively treats plantar fasciitis that doesn’t respond to more conservative measures. Here are the top four reasons to consider PRP for plantar fasciitis.
Chronic plantar fasciitis once required surgical intervention. But now, PRP stands in the gap between first-line treatments and surgery. What once required a scalpel may only need a few needle sticks.
Opting for PRP therapy helps you avoid the tissue damage inherent in surgical procedures, speeds up your recovery time, lowers your risk of infection, and results in less pain and downtime.
Your body is built to heal — but not necessarily within your preferred time frame. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments can take weeks, months, or sometimes even years to regenerate. With the help of PRP, however, your body gets a turbo boost of healing power. The results aren’t instant, but the rate of healing accelerates considerably.
Given the opioid epidemic ravaging our country, you’re wise to be cautious about using pain medication. PRP offers you an alternative, drug-free way to battle inflammation and pain.
Some treatments mask pain or temporarily halt it, but PRP heals the underlying damage causing the pain so that you can experience long-lasting relief.
To find out if you’re a good candidate for PRP therapy, call any of our four Southern California locations or use our online form to request an appointment with our specialists.