(847) 584-3959
Pay Bill
Pay Bill

A non-surgical treatment for plantar fasciitis​

Plantar fasciitis embolization is a minimally invasive procedure ideal for those who wish to avoid surgery, or who do not have the time to wait up to a year for plantar fasciitis pain to resolve on its own.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

The fascia is the thick band of tissue on the bottom of the foot that connects the heel bone to the toes. When the fascia is injured and becomes inflamed, it can be extremely painful. Plantar fasciitis is thought to be the caused by repeated microtrauma to the heel, which results in the development of new, abnormal blood vessels within the inflamed fascia. This increased “vascularization” contributes to persistent pain.

 

Schedule a consultation with one of our doctors, please call (847) 584-3959 or fill out our form below.

 

 

Athletes, especially runners, are at a higher risk for developing plantar fasciitis. Women are more at risk than men, as well as those who are overweight, have Type II diabetes or have a job that requires prolonged standing.

Schedule a Consultation

What are the treatment options?

For many patients, conservative treatment such as icing, massage, taping, stretching—or even medication or orthotics—can help manage the condition until it gets better on its own. Unfortunately, up to 20% of those with plantar fasciitis will require more substantial treatment. In addition, those who cannot afford to wait the up to 12 months it can take to plantar fasciitis to heal itself, may seek another treatment option.

 

Schedule a consultation with one of our doctors, please call (847) 584-3959 or fill out our form below.

 

 

For those who require another solution, surgery is sometimes used to cut or “release” the fascia to relieve pressure and restore blood flow to the heel. Unfortunately, up to 44% of patients experience swelling and tenderness up to 10 years after the surgery.1 In addition, complications, such as nerve injury, biomechanical instability and recurrent heel pain can occur.

Schedule a Consultation

Other, less invasive options such as extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) or high intensity laser therapy (HILT)/low-level laser therapy (LLLT) are available. However, these require multiple treatment sessions and have a success rate between 74-76% (ESWT)2 and 51-73% (laser therapy)3 Additionally, healing from these procedures may be slowed with the use of anti-inflammatory medications4 and patients who have had a recent corticosteroid injection, those with implanted devices or hormones, and those with open wounds around the treatment site are not eligible for the ESWT procedure. Fortunately, there is a new and highly effective minimally invasive treatment option: Plantar fasciitis embolization.

 

Schedule a consultation with one of our doctors, please call (847) 584-3959 or fill out our form below.

 

Plantar fasciitis embolization (PFE)

PFE is a new, non-surgical option that precisely targets the root cause of plantar fasciitis: the abnormal blood vessels within the fascia responsible for pain and inflammation. During the procedure, a very small catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in the ankle or thigh. Our interventional radiologists use imaging to guide the catheter to the exact location of the abnormal blood vessels. Tiny microparticles are then injected into arteries to cut off blood supply to the inflamed tissue, which then heals naturally, reducing pain and discomfort.   PFE has been shown to have an excellent safety profile and success record.5

To learn more or to schedule a consultation with one of our doctors, please call (847) 584-3959 or fill out our form below.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name(Required)
How soon would you like a consultation?(Required)
Preferred Location(Required)
References
  1. Rozil Gandhi, et al. Early outcomes of transcatheter arterial embolization for plantar fasciitis refractory to conservative therapy. Br J Radiol 2024 Feb 28;97(1155:544-548.
  2. R. Scheuer et al. Approaches to optimize focused extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) based on an observational study of 363 feet with recalcitrant plantar fasciitis. International Journal of Surgery Volume 27, March 2016, Pages 1-7.
  3. Dovile Naruseviciute et al. The effect of high-intensity versus low-level laser therapy in the management of plantar fasciitis: randomized participant blind controlled trial. Clin Rehabil. 2020 Aug; 34(8): 1072-1082.
  4. Reilly JM, Bluman E, Tenforde AS. Effect of shockwave treatment for Management of Upper and Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Conditions: a narrative review. PM R. 2018;10(12):1385‐1403
  5. Rozil Gandhi, et al. Early outcomes of transcatheter arterial embolization for plantar fasciitis refractory to conservative therapy. Br J Radiol 2024 Feb 28;97(1155:544-548.