Shockwave therapy. You may have heard about it from a friend who has had a kidney stone, but did you know that Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy is a trusted podiatric treatment as well? At Stuto Foot Specialist Podiatry in Brooklyn, NY, Dr. Joseph C. Stuto and Dr. Joseph A. Stuto use ESWT in the office to treat a variety of foot and ankle conditions—especially plantar fasciitis.

What is plantar fasciitis?

Affecting one in 10 American adults according to the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the connective tissue between the heel bone and base of the toes, and it can cause considerable pain, loss of feeling, tenderness, and swelling.

Unfortunately, many patients spend considerable time and effort dealing with their conditions, only to find little to no relief. So, at Stuto Foot Specialist Podiatry in Brooklyn, we offer Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy as an adjunct to, or replacement for, customized shoe orthotics, anti-inflammatory medications, injections, and other common treatments.

The procedure

Many adult patients qualify for ESWT. A complete podiatric exam, X-ray imaging, and a review of medical history will tell Dr. Soto if the procedure is both safe for you and has a good chance of succeeding. People with reduced sensitivity and circulation in their feet, take blood thinners, have a cardiac pacemaker, or who exhibit open sores or wounds cannot undergo this procedure. Also, women who are pregnant should postpone treatment until after they deliver their babies.

Regarding the treatment, it takes place in its entirety in the office with the benefit of local anesthetic or light sedation. Used since 2000 in the United States, ESWT delivers short, intense bursts of sound waves to selected areas of inflammation. The aim? ESWT helps:

• Increase circulation
• Speed healing
• Reduce tenderness and harmful swelling

Afterwards, patients can return home (with an adult driver) and resume most of their normal routines the next day. However, they should postpone very strenuous activities, such as gym workouts, for a couple of weeks.

Contact us

At Stuto Foot Specialist Podiatry's Brooklyn practices, you'll be well treated and can take advantage of up-to-date, innovative treatments such as shockwave therapy. For a personal consultation on your plantar fasciitis or other persistent podiatric conditions, please call our office team at (718) 624-7537.