Plantar Fasciitis getting worse.

[lawrencejamerson]

Hi,

I have PF and use ice, a night splint and now the ultrasound at home. It was never excruciating but nonetheless painful at times.

I have been using the ultrasound 2 times a day for 5 minutes at the source of my heel pain (diagnosed as PF). The pain seems to be increasing. I have seen other posts where pain decreased right away. Could the ultrasound be making it worse? Or is the increased discomfort expected before a recovery?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

PS. I use it for my tennis elbow too with no negative side effects.

[lawrencejamerson]

Hi, has anyone had a similar experience or know about this. Thank you.

[Allison]

Hello Lawrence,

It sounds as though you are doing everything you possibly can to treat your plantar fasciitis; which will go a long way in healing your injury. I am a bit concerned to hear that you are experiencing pain from administering portable ultrasound treatments. Our unit is very safe and effective to use and should never be causing you pain. If you are experiencing any pain during treatment you should immediately end your treatments and phone one of our customer service representatives to ensure that the device is functioning as it should be, and that you are administering treatment in the best possible way.

I will go through a few issues and troubleshooting suggestions that may help you in determining why you are feeling pain and discomfort during treatment.

a. Make sure you are applying enough ultrasound gel.
When treating your foot you should apply a circle of gel approximately 1 to 2 inches in diameter and a ¼ inch thick. You need to make sure that you are using enough gel to create a seal between the transducer head of the ultrasound unit and your skin. Applying an appropriate amount of ultrasound gel will not only protect your skin/tissues during treatment, but will also ensure that the waves emitted from the ultrasound device are penetrating directly into your injured tissue where you need it most. The use of ultrasound gel to protect your treatment area is especially important when treating injuries located in less muscular regions of your body. If you find that you are running out of ultrasound gel during your treatment make sure to apply more gel. There is no danger in using too much gel, and it is always best to have some gel left over at the end of your treatment cycle than to run out of gel.

b. Keep the ultrasound in contact motion during treatment.
We always recommend that you keep the ultrasound device in constant motion in order to prevent an accumulation of acoustic energy in one area of your injury. An accumulation of acoustic energy may cause you some discomfort and you may feel more heat. You can deliver effective healing and avoid unnecessary risk by moving the device in a circular motion over the treatment area. If your treatment area is heating up be sure to apply more gel and keep the device moving more quickly.

c. Make sure that the transducer head of the ultrasound is flat against your skin during treatment.
If you are unable to keep the transducer head flat re-adjust the position of your leg or foot as you are treating your injury (or perhaps get someone to apply the treatments for you). Make sure you apply gentle pressure as you move around more angular parts of your body and keep the head as flat as possible. Try to avoid tilting the head of the device as much as possible.

d. Comfirm that you are treating the proper area of your PF injury.
Pain in and around the plantar fascia can often be referred to other areas in your foot. Make sure you are treating the area where your plantar fascia is injured (right at your heel), and not an area that is experiencing referral pain.

Notable Areas of Referral Pain:


Ideal Treatment Area:


e. Your PF injury should not be significantly inflamed, tender or warm to the touch.
We generally recommend that you decrease treatment frequency, length of treatment time, or intensity of the ultrasound treatments if your injury is significantly irritated or inflamed until the inflammation has decreased. In your case perhaps decrease to 1 treatment per day, and apply treatment on the lowest intensity setting. Don’t be discouraged if you cannot complete the maximum recommended treatment. Healing and pain reduction can still be achieved with fewer treatments. It is important that you continue your daily treatment plan at the frequency of use that is most comfortable for you in order to achieve results.

Most importantly - you should listen to your body while administering treatment of any kind. If you are feeling pain or discomfort during treatments, decrease or discontinue your treatments until your body has had sufficient time to rest. Gradually start treatments again once you are feeling better.

Please take comfort in knowing that the portable ultrasound unit is not making your injury worse, and I strongly believe that as you continue to remain dedicated to a proper treatment plan you will be able to heal your plantar fascia tissue.

I hope I have adequately answered your question and supplied enough information to determine what is causing your pain during treatment. If you have any additional questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reply to this post or contact one of our knowledgeable customer service representatives toll free at 1-866-237-9608 or phone us directly at 1-705-445-3505.

Best of luck to you, Lawrence, and I do hope you experience some significant PF and tennis elbow pain relief soon. (-:

Warmest Regards;

Allison
MendMeShop

[lawrencejamerson]

Thanks Allison.

I have one more concern. I read that it is not good to use the ultrasound directly over bone. However, with my tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis and a knee issue I kind of have to since that is where the injury is. Any advice on that? Thanks.

[Allison]

Good Morning Lawrence,

Although some ultrasound treatments may not be safe for use over less muscular regions, our portable ultrasound is extremely safe for use over your knee and elbow. As I stated in the previous post, when treating any areas that are less muscular you should always make sure to apply enough ultrasound gel to protect your skin and injury during treatment. If you are worried about treating over these areas, simply apply more gel and make sure that the ultrasound is in constant motion. Also make sure to treat in the proper areas when treating aroung your joints.

When treating your tennis elbow keep the transducer head over the outside of your elbow over a more fleshy area:


When treating your knee remember to keep the transducer head below your kneecap (this is usually the area where most knee injuries occur):


When treating your plantar fasciitis - if you maintain treatment over the area I indicated in the last post you should have absolutely no issues during treatment.

I hope this clarifies your concern about administering ultrasound treatments directly over less muscular areas, and if you have any further questions please do not hestitate to reply to this post or contact us directly.

Keep us posted as to your progress (-:

Best Regards;

Allison
MendMeShop

[babersiddiqui]

Allison,
I do have a question for you. It appears your instructions are pointing almost to the bone of heel to focus treatment on. However, plantar fasciitis is not exactly in the heel bone, its - as I am sure you know - an inflammation in the ligament and the pain felt is right where the heel bone ends and arch begins. From all I have read on it and my own doctor visits, it's this spot exactly which has a soft tissue pain and not the ligament- and not the heel bone. Can you please clarify?!

Baber

[Allison]

Hello Baber,

You are absolutely correct in saying that Plantar Fasciitis usually afflicts the bit of tendon tissue that connects to the heel bone, right before the arch. The above photo demonstrates that the transducer head of our Portable Ultrasound System is applying treatment over the edge of the heel bone. This emphasizes the importance of administering treatment at the source of your Plantar Fasciitis pain. Many individuals are unaware of the fact that Plantar Fasciitis afflicts the tissue that connects to the heel bone.

Treatment should be tailored and specific to each individual's injury. You should always listen to your body and apply treatment to the source of your pain. The photos in our MendMeShop Ultrasound Treatment Guide are meant to provide general guidelines so you may properly assess where treatment should be applied to provide optimal healing results.

I hope I have adequately answered your questions. If you should require any additional assistance please feel free to respond to this post or contact one of our friendly customer service representatives toll free at 1-866-237-9608 or phone us directly at 1-705-445-3505.

Best of luck to you in healing your Plantar Fasciitis,

Allison
MendMeShop