Long Island Shockwave Treatment Helps Athletes Heal From Foot Injuries and Return to Peak Performance
When you’re sidelined by persistent pain that won't respond to rest or traditional treatments, each attempt to return to training is frustrating. At Massapequa Podiatry Associates in Long Island, we understand how foot and ankle conditions derail your athletic goals. We use extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) as a solution to target the root cause of sports injuries to restore proper function, provide lasting pain relief, and promote faster recovery. Continue reading to learn how innovative shockwave treatment helps athletes at all levels overcome aggravating foot and ankle injuries.
The Benefits of Shockwave Therapy
ESWT is a non-invasive form of regenerative medicine used for various sub-acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions since 2000. This process involves applying high-energy acoustic pressure waves to the site of an injury or soft tissue damage, which stimulates your body’s natural healing responses and processes to provide results. Many of our athlete patients experience:
- Improved blood flow. Shockwave therapy stimulates circulation in the affected area, prompting your immune system to naturally reduce acute inflammation and promote healing.
- Pain reduction. The acoustic waves help desensitize nerve endings, reducing the consistent discomfort associated with various athletic injuries. Participants in multiple studies reported significantly decreased pain after ESWT.
- Tissue and cell regeneration. This approach encourages better metabolic activity, which in turn accelerates tissue repair and new collagen formation.
- Breaking down scar tissue. In some cases, ESWT can reduce the thickened restricted tissue that may be contributing to your pain and discomfort.
- Dispurses calcium deposits. Shockwave therapy was initially created to break up kidney stones, so it’s also helpful to fragment and disperse calcium deposits in tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues.
Although referred to as “shockwave” therapy, no electrical current passes through the body during this process—only acoustic waves. The term “extracorporeal” means the treatment happens outside the body. In other words, we don’t insert needles, make any incisions, or place any objects inside your ankle or foot. There’s also no need for medication.
Additional Benefits for Athletic Performance
With shockwave treatments, many athletes are able to maintain their fitness during recovery as there’s little downtime. Other advantages include:
- Faster recovery. Most of our patients notice improvement within 3–4 sessions.
- Non-surgical. You’ll avoid lengthy post-surgical rehabilitation periods, too.
- Maintain conditioning. While each case varies, most of our patient-athletes can continue modified training during treatment.
- Long-term results. ESWT treats underlying issues, not just symptoms.
- Prevention. Strengthened tissues are more resistant to future injury.
Many of our patients report long-lasting pain relief after completing their ESWT course.
Common Athletic Conditions Treated With Shockwave Therapy
Too much force on a machine can strain parts to the point of breaking. The same thing happens to our feet and ankles, just in different ways. We might try to make our bodies endure a greater load than they were ready for or conditioned to take, such as taking off into a sudden sprint before warming up. Or, your foot structure might place a greater strain on certain areas by changing the way the weight is distributed over the foot.
At our Long Island podiatry practice, we've helped countless athletes overcome persistent foot and ankle issues through targeted shockwave treatments. Here are just a few sports injuries that benefit from this procedure.
Plantar Fasciitis
Many runners and athletes who jump a lot suffer from this painful condition. Shockwave therapy reduces inflammation in the plantar fascia and promotes the healing of micro-tears, providing both immediate pain relief and long-term recovery.
Achilles Tendinopathy
If you play a sport with multiple stops and starts—such as pickleball, basketball, or tennis—are a dancer, or run a considerable amount of miles each week, it’s not unusual to develop Achilles tendinitis. ESWT breaks down scar tissue and stimulates tendon repair while maintaining mobility.
Stress Fractures
Maybe you’ve noticed a lot of heel pain while working out on a treadmill. Stress fractures are a common overuse injury, and can sideline you for months. A series of shockwave treatments gradually promotes bone healing and reduces associated soft tissue inflammation for a faster return to activity.
Ankle Sprains
This injury is caused by an overextension and strain of one or more ligaments surrounding the ankle joint. It can happen from any excess force on the ankle, often from some form of twisting motion. Chronic ankle instability from repeated sprains responds well to ESWT, which strengthens ligaments and improves joint stability.
Shockwave Treatment Protocol for Athletes
Our board-certified foot doctors at Massapequa Podiatry Associates believe treating the root cause of any foot condition, sports-related or otherwise, is the key to success. It’s one of the reasons why we offer numerous advanced treatment services that provide high-tech solutions to restore full form and function to your feet.
While conventional treatments often require weeks or months of reduced activity, shockwave therapy offers a faster path to recovery. A typical shockwave treatment plan for athletes includes:
- A comprehensive evaluation of your specific biomechanics and injury
- Customized protocols based on the demands of your sport
- Weekly sessions for up to two months depending on the condition's severity
- Guidance for a progressive return to activity
- Prevention strategies for future injury
Unlike treatments that simply mask pain, the enhanced tissue architecture and circulation prompted by ESWT create more resilient muscles, tendons, and ligaments that can better withstand the intense forces of athletic activity. The result is stronger tissue that performs better under stress and demonstrates increased resistance to future injury, allowing athletes at all levels to train harder and compete with greater confidence.
What to Expect During Shockwave Therapy
At our Long Island podiatry clinic, we want to give you as much insight into your recommended treatment process as possible. Remember, your recovery is a joint effort, and we’re always available to answer any questions.
Based on your treatment plan, here’s the general process for shockwave treatment:
- Initial consultation. We conduct a thorough examination to evaluate your condition and determine if you're a good candidate for the therapy.
- Treatment sessions. Each session lasts about 10–15 minutes, depending on the plan we develop and the area addressed.
- During the procedure. You'll relax comfortably while a member of our team applies a gel to your foot and transmits the shockwaves with a handheld device. We may direct treatment to all parts of your foot to release tissue restriction.
- Sensation. During the application, you may feel a tapping sensation and some discomfort—like a rubber band snapping against your skin. Most people tolerate it well.
- Post-treatment. Typically, you'll return to normal activities immediately after each session.
However, it’s important to note that depending on the location of the treatment and other circumstances, we might recommend that you rest and elevate your foot for the remainder of the day. You might also need someone to drive you home. We’ll inform you of everything you will need to know to prepare for before and after a session.
During your treatment course, we’ll work closely together to assess your activity level, decide what lifestyle and training adjustments you need to make as things progress, and use some of our other diagnostic tools to gauge your improvement.
While some patients experience immediate relief, it’s more common that you won’t feel the full effects for several weeks after ESWT.
Is Shockwave Treatment Right for You?
Factors such as the severity of your condition, overall health, and previous treatments all influence whether this therapy is right for you. So during your initial consult, we’ll ask for a thorough medical history. Possible concerns include:
- Whether you’re pregnant
- If you take anticoagulants or steroids
- The presence of open sores, skin abrasions, or abnormal tissue growth in the affected area
- If you have a pacemaker
- Issues such as heart condition, neuropathy, or seizures
At Massapequa Podiatry Associates, we believe in a personalized and targeted approach to foot care. For our patient-athletes, we understand how eager you are to recover from a sports injury and get back into action. We always take the time to listen to you and work together to develop a comprehensive treatment plan so your relief lasts years instead of weeks.