Heel pain relief with Radial Shockwave Therapy

By Patricia Nugent

Following the wildly successful introduction of the Lunula cold laser treatment for toenail fungus, this month Dr. Danielle L. Shaper is debuting another breakthrough service to the Cleveland area: Radial Shockwave Therapy to address heel pain.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, more than two million people in this country are treated for moderate to severe burning, stabbing, often debilitating pain in the heel.

“I’ve been researching my field for months to find an alternative to surgery for heel pain, which is one of the most common ailments my patients suffer from,” says Dr. Shaper, who founded Finesse Footcare in Lyndhurst last fall. “I spoke with podiatrists who have used this therapy and the outcomes have been both significant and impressive for chronic pain.”

She reports that treating the heel and Achilles tendon can be challenging.

“From a clinical standpoint, there’s not a lot of ground for treatment between custom orthotics and surgery,” she explains. “You can’t really work with injections in the Achilles tendon, as the tendon could rupture.”

Here’s How Radial Shockwave Works
Waves of mechanical energy from a hand-held device reach deep into tissues, further than traditional therapy. Pulsed energy heals inflamed tissue by increasing circulation on a cellular level and boosting the immune system’s natural response.

Dr. Shaper uses a machine with an applicator that looks like an ultrasound and slowly moves the device over the affected area. During treatment, she interfaces with a touchscreen monitor that pinpoints and displays the amount of energy transfer.

There’s no downtime with Radial Shockwave Therapy. Patients can leave the office and go about their day, even go for a run if they wish. And although there is sometimes minimal discomfort involved during the less than 10-minute treatment, anesthesia is not necessary. Most patients feel immediate relief after the first treatment, and then lasting relief after three to five weekly treatments. It’s a great fit for patients who are teenagers through seniors.

“Most of my patients with heel pain are runners, athletes and dancers,” says Dr. Shaper, who is also a dancer and understands how the foot’s structures can be affected by the stresses of repetitive high impact. “As a doctor, following the most conservative, least-invasive path of treatment has always been important to me. This therapy fits my mission to a tee.”

She says that although it is not covered by insurance, the therapy’s affordable cost is far less than surgery, or however long recovery from surgery might take.

And radial shockwave therapy isn’t only for heel pain. It’s an FDA cleared technology that can be used to treat other tendon issues, shin splints, and neuromas.

What’s in a Name
Dr. Shaper says she chose the name Finesse Footcare to communicate the level of care she offers patients, intensely focused and highly personalized. Staying ahead of the technological curve by introducing treatments such as the FDA-cleared Lunula cold laser for toenail fungus and Radial Shockwave Therapy is the key to offering minimally invasive procedures that are effective and affordable.

Through state-of-the-art digital X-rays, Dr. Shaper can get a clear picture of each patient’s foot structure in an effort to pinpoint a diagnosis and determine a course of treatment.

In addition to heel pain, toenail fungus and routine foot care, Dr. Shaper treats foot and ankle issues ranging from ingrown toenails to bunions, hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, corns, warts, calluses, sprained ankles, diabetic footcare and spurs.

Finesse Footcare is located at 5035 Mayfield Road in Lyndhurst. Same-day appointments are usually available. The practice accepts a wide variety of insurance plans. Call 216-382-8070, or visit FinesseFootcare.com for more information.