Plantar fasciitis is a condition involving inflammation in your plantar fascia, a ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot. Initially, the heel pain of plantar fasciitis is intermittent, often worst when you first get out of bed in the morning. At this stage, the condition is fairly easy to treat with non-invasive measures. However, if left untreated, the pain can become chronic and more difficult to resolve. Once, treatment of chronic heel pain would require invasive injections or surgery. But now, thanks to innovations in interventional radiology, there’s an effective, minimally invasive treatment option: Plantar Fasciitis Embolization (PFE.)

Chronic Heel Pain Treatment

When the heel pain of plantar fasciitis has been present for 6 or more months, and hasn’t responded to conservative treatments such as physical therapy, splinting, shoe and activity modifications or custom orthotic inserts, it can be considered chronic. At that point, you will need to seek alternative interventions.

Traditionally, that could include cortisone, Botox or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections; Shockwave therapy; or, in extreme cases, a surgical procedure to release the plantar fascia. Today, however there’s another effective option: PFE, a minimally-invasive procedure that relieves chronic heel pain by reducing blood flow—and inflammation—to a portion of your plantar fascia. In the weeks that follow, your pain gradually resolves, and your recovery involves minimal down time and a quick return to full activities since PFE is performed without incisions or stitches. Now, since the procedure is a relatively new treatment option for plantar fasciitis, we have limited information about the duration of relief provided. However, this study shows that the pain relief lasts for at least four years following your procedure.

Who is a PFE Candidate?

While this treatment option is not for everyone, PFE can be beneficial for those who enjoy good overall health and who have a confirmed plantar fasciitis diagnosis with at least six months of chronic heel pain. You should try conservative plantar fasciitis therapies before considering PFE. But if they have failed to relieve your discomfort, you can begin exploring your candidacy for this procedure by requesting a consultation at one of our three Georgia Endovascular locations.