Advanced Technology
At Foot & Ankle Care Associates, we pride ourselves in offering the latest and most advanced technology available for the diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle issues. The doctors at Foot & Ankle Care Associates are totally committed to remaining on the cutting-edge of podiatric innovation and technology.
We continually invest in state-of-the-art diagnostic and surgical equipment. Our doctors go through rigorous, ongoing training to ensure that we’re doing everything we can to improve our patients’ quality of life. We know our focus on technology is worth the investment and our patients tell us they can truly see the difference.
Laser Treatment for Nail Fungus
Laser Treatment for chronic nail fungus was recently introduced in 2008 and has become one of the most efficient and effective ways to treat fungus that lives in and under the nail. The laser light passes through the toenail without causing damage to the nail or the surrounding skin. After the treatment the formerly infected nails will grow out, gradually being replaced with clear, healthy toenails. The entire procedure takes less than 30 minutes and usually only one treatment is needed.
Microvas Therapy
The microVas EchoPulse is an FDA 510-K registered, non-invasive electrical stimulation device that delivers a High Voltage Pulsed Current (HVPC) to targeted areas within the human body. MicroVas delivers a powerful, deeply penetrating waveform that causes blood to pump more efficiently through the microcirculation (draining the venous beds and raising tissue oxygen levels) in damaged tissue to accelerate the healing process. MicroVas’ therapeutic effects are dramatic and lasting. Healthcare professionals who are familiar with microVas consider it an important new tool in the treatment of neuropathy, non-healing wounds, repetitive motion disorders, fibromyalgia, common sports injuries and many other conditions related to vascular insufficiency.
Ultrasonography
All of our 6 locations provide in office ultrasonography to diagnose soft tissue injuries and foot problems.
Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment
Platelet rich plasma works to heal plantar fasciitis and achilles tendonitis naturally without surgery.
PRP are concentrated platelets and white blood cells derived from your own blood. These platelets secrete growth factors, which are known to play a role in healing of tissues such as tendons, ligament and joints. In addition, they help in:
- Increasing tissue vascularity and increasing the rate of epitheal tissue production (wound healing)
- Attractive other cells that fight infection
- Acting as a seal during closures
- Providing an immediate surgical hemostatic agent (reduction of bleeding)
- Osteogenesis (bone regeneration and repair)
Many people suffer from tendonitis at some point in their lives. When tendon injuries become chronic, the tendon is replaced with scar tissue or the tendon tears, and this leads to pain and loss of function. PRP treatment enhances the healing environment to cure the chronically affected tissue naturally and without the side effects of medicine or surgery. Growth factors located in human platelets are injected into damaged ligaments and tendons. This stimulates a natural repair process by the body’s own healing system.
What conditions benefit from PRP?
- IPlantar fasciitis and tears of the plantar fascia
- IAchilles tendonitis and tenocalcinosis
- IPosterior Tibial Tendonitis and tendonosis
- IPeroneal tendonitis
- IAnkle sprains
- ICartilage and joint capsule tears
- IJoint pain and plantar plate injuries
- INon-healing ulcers or wounds
How is PRP done?
In an outside facility, blood is drawn from the patient’s arm and placed in a special centrifuge. The platelets are then separated from the red blood cells and concentrated. The concentrated platelets are then put in a syringe and injected into the injured area. The process is done under either local anesthesia or twilight anesthesia which minimizes pain. The entire process usually takes less than 30 minutes
Studies have shown the effectiveness of PRP treatment. Many patients have experienced complete relief of their pain. Success rate is 85%.
Shockwave Therapy
Patients undergo treatment at three separate visits, which are separated by seven to 14 days and usually last less than 10 minutes. This procedure occurs in an office-based setting. Patients typically feel slight immediate improvement, walk out with no assistive devices and return to activities of daily life and work immediately after the procedure is complete. There have been no adverse events and no patient has required the use of a local anesthetic.
Learn more about Emerging Concepts In Shockwave Therapy.
Prolotherapy
An excellent non-surgical treatment For chronic tendonopathy and joint synovitis.
You probably never have heard the term, but it is a simple method of resolving chronic pain. Prolotherapy has been used for years at various locations in the body to resolve pain. The best thing about it is that the treatment is a natural technique to induce your body to heal itself. The treatment stimulates the body to repair the painful area, when the natural healing process needs a little assistance.
The science behind the technique is simple to understand. A fluid substance is injected into the affected ligament, tendon or fascial structure, which leads to an inflammation. The substance is usually a mixture of a local anesthetic (lidocaine, marcaine) and dextrose. The localized inflammatory process triggers a wound healing cascade, resulting in the deposition of new collagen, from which ligaments and tendons are made. New collagen shrinks as it matures and this shrinking collagen tightens the ligament that was injected, making it stronger. Prolotherapy has the potential of being 100% effective at eliminating chronic pain due to ligament and tendon weakness. The most important aspect of the treatment involves injecting enough solution to provoke an adequate inflammatory response, this can take anywhere from 3-8 injections when treating the foot and ankle structures. Prolotherapy has been very effective in reducing the need to undergo surgery and more invasive procedures.
Radiofrequency
Radiofrequency is a non-surgical procedure used to relieve acute and chronic pain and other related nerve pain in the foot through the application of radiofrequency energy to nervous tissue.
Radiofrequency (RF) uses current to create temperatures for ablation of the nerves that provide sensation to the heel. Continuous radiofrequency current is used to heat a small volume of nerve tissue, thereby disrupting pain signals from that specific area. This procedure has a selective effect on nerve fibers, reducing pain in target areas, but leaving other sensory capabilities intact. Only the nerve that is causing pain will be affected by RF therapy.
Radiofrequency lesioning is a safe, proven means of treating chronic pain. While this treatment is relatively new for foot pain, physicians have utilized radiofrequency for pain relief which dates as far back as the 1930s.
Radiofrequency is performed on patients that have pain duration of at least 3 months, and are unresponsive to conservative therapies. Patients can return to normal activity almost immediately; and most people report long-lasting results, with pain signals blocked for a prolonged periods of time.
Vascular Test
12 million Americans have Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). Without proper treatment 30% are likely to die in 5 years of PAD-related heart attack or stroke. Segmental pressures, TBI, and PVR tests help identify obstructive disease and determine whether medical or surgical treatment is required. This non-invasive test can be completed in 15-20 minutes in the office. Saves time and travel to the hospital or Specialty Lab.
