Machines called lithotriptors generate shock waves. For heel pain, the surgeons use a model called the OssaTron, which delivers a low dose. The OssaTron is owned by Midwest Stone Institute, a health care company affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine. Traditional treatment for heel pain begins with modifying activity. Patients are urged to take things easy for a while and limit those activities that make the pain worse.
Many doctors prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs.
If the pain persists, they may recommend soft-soled shoes or heel pads or prescribe foot orthotics. These patients tend to have an associated tightness in the heel cord. Many people with plantar fasciitis experience heel pain for up to a year or more. But once the condition runs its course, the pain usually goes away. The problem is that the plantar fascia helps support the arch of the foot and has some other functions, too.