If you have been diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis or Heels Spurs you know what a very painful condition this can be. The fascia is a thin layer of tough tissue supporting the arch of the foot. Heel Spurs are a result of the Plantar Fasciitis. Heel Spurs are a calcification which forms due to the damage to the fascia. Not all patients with Plantar Fasciitis have Heel Spurs but it is common and Plantar Fasciitis is the most common form of heel pain. The heel may hurt, feel hot and or swell. The pain can be unbearable when getting out of bed in the morning or after sitting. Sometimes it is noticeable at the beginning of physical activity and gets better as the body warms up. Prolonged standing may cause pain, as well.

Plantar Fasciitis pain can be severe and can cause loss of time from work and can sometimes lead to total and/or partial disability. ESWT eliminates the risk factors associated with surgery and lets the patient resume a normal life.

Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis or Heel Spurs can include:

• Sever foot pain in the morning
• Foot pain after sitting
• Foot pain that keeps you from doing the things you love
• Burning in the sole of the foot near the heel
• Tired, achy feet that you blame on shoes or "being on your feet too much"
• Heel spurs "run in the family"
• Heel pain when starting a new running, walking or exercise routine
• "Trigger Point Pain", this is where the patient will have pain if the doctor presses at the site where the fasciia meets the heel bone

Achilles Tendonitis is also very painful and can often be debilitating. Achilles Tendonitis is an injury or inflammation of the Achilles Tendon. The Achilles Tendon is a large tendon that is an extension of the two calf muscles; it runs down the back of the lower leg and attaches to the heel bone (calcaneus). The Achilles Tendon gives us the ability to rise up on our toes, facilitating the act of walking. It is vital to our ability to walk upright and Achilles Tendonitis can make walking almost impossible.

ESWT offers new hope to those suffering from chronic Achilles Tendonitis. As with Plantar Fasciitis ESWT eliminates the risk factors associated with surgery, therefore a patient in many cases can resume a normal life in a short period of time.

Symptoms of Achilles Tendonitis can include:

• Painful along the back of your heel with your first steps in the morning
• Painful along the back of the heel with first steps after rest or sitting
• Pain may subside and then return after rest or athletic activities
• Achilles Tendonitis is very common in athletes and runners
• The pain can be a persistent ache, a shooting pain, a burning pain, or even sever piercing pain
• "Trigger Point Pain", this is where the patient will have pain if the doctor presses at the site where the tendon meets the heel bone.

Tennis Elbow or Lateral Epicondylitis generally starts out mild and gradually gets worse. Chronic suffers can have severe pain that rarely lets up. In chronic tennis elbow the pain is located at the outside of the elbow below the joint’s bony prominence. The patient experience pain if they reach and grip or when lifting or carrying even a light object.

Tennis Elbow is not limited to tennis players, anyone can suffer from it. In most cases "Tennis Elbow" is a result of repetitive movements that require the forearm muscles to be engaged. It is a common workplace or athletic injury.

Symptoms of Tennis Elbow can include:

• Pain when lifting, bending the arm or grasping even light objects such as a coffee cup or a milk carton
• Pain can be felt on or below the joint’s bony prominence, can also be tender to the touch
• The outside of the upper forearm just below the bend of the elbow can have recurring pain
• Pain can radiate down the arm toward the wrist
• May have difficulty extending the forearm fully (because of inflamed muscles, tendons and ligaments)
• Symptoms usually develop insidiously and tend to get progressively worse over time
• Pain can occur when shaking hands, turning knobs, or lifting a suitcase
• There may be weakness of various muscles in shoulder, forearm, and wrist
• There can be a decrease in range of movement and flexibility in the wrist
• Muscle spasms can occur in lower arm area
• "Trigger Point Pain", this is where the patient will have pain if the doctor presses at the site where the tendon meets the bone

Chronic Shoulder Tendonitis is the degeneration of tissue in one of the tendons at the top of the upper arm bone (humerus). This tendon can cause pain or if a calcification is present movement can be restricted in the shoulder.

Anyone can suffer from Shoulder Tendonitis and now there is hope for those who suffer from its often debilitating pain. ESWT can be used to threat Shoulder Tendonitis and the effects have been best documented in the areas of changes in tissue density. Example: Where a tendon attaches to a bone (enthesiopathies) and where a bone attaches to a ligament (desmopathies). Success with these areas of treatment give new hope to those with Shoulder Tendonitis by relieving pain, eliminating the risk factors associated with surgery and allowing patients to resume their normal lives.

Symptoms of Shoulder Tendonitis can include:

• Shoulder pain that radiates down the side of the arm
• Significant pain when lifting items over your head
• Pain when you sleep on the injured shoulder
• Pain when you press the site where the tendon meets the bone
• Weakness in your shoulder and muscles
• Constant, and at times sever, shoulder pain
• Restricted motion in the shoulder joint

Is it too late for me?
If you are a chronic sufferer don’t worry ESWT offers new hope to chronic sufferers. If you have "tried everything" don’t be discouraged, this is a new weapon against pain!