How MLS Laser Therapy Works to Heal Your Plantar Fasciitis

Whether you’re experiencing pain with your first steps in the morning or you’re dealing with gradual foot and heel pain that increases during the day, or both, you just want relief.

You’re certainly not alone in this — about 1 in 10 people will experience plantar fasciitis at some point, and this common foot condition sends about 1 million Americans to seek medical help each year.

On the receiving end of some of these visits is our team of foot health experts at Aesthetic Podiatry & Sports Medicine Center, led by Dr. Mariola Rivera and Dr. Lisa Shah. 

In our considerable experience with plantar fasciitis, we have found that multiwave locked system (MLS) therapy can play a key role in helping to resolve this painful issue. Here's how.

A brief review of plantar fasciitis

Before we dive into how MLS laser therapy can help with your plantar fasciitis, let’s quickly review what we’re up against.

Along the sole of your foot, a tough band of tissue stretches from your heel to the base of your toes, providing support for the arch in your foot. This tissue is called the plantar fascia. 

With overuse or a sudden increase in pressure (think gaining weight or pregnancy), your plantar fascia can become stressed and develop tiny tears that lead to inflammation. 

The best way to treat plantar fasciitis is to address the inflammation and encourage repairs and strengthening in the connective tissues — two areas in which MLS therapy can excel.

How MLS treats plantar fasciitis

There are many ways in which we approach plantar fasciitis, all with an eye toward getting you moving comfortably on your feet again.

To start, we typically suggest rest, stretching, and icing, as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. While these conservative treatments can go a long way toward treating plantar fasciitis, they take time. 

To speed up your healing, we’ve had great success with MLS laser therapy, which is FDA-cleared as a safe and effective therapy for a wide range of painful musculoskeletal issues, and plantar fasciitis certainly qualifies.

MLS laser therapy is unique in that we deliver two different wavelengths of laser energy at the same time: 808 and 905 nanometers.

The lesser energy level is designed to reduce inflammation and prevent fluid buildup in your tissues (edema). The slightly higher energy level is the one that produces an analgesic effect to tackle your pain.

Both wavelengths are considered low energy, so they don’t lead to any thermal damage in your tissues, but the low-level energy is enough to elicit a cellular response that helps to repair your plantar fascia.

So, in addition to your efforts at home with icing and stretching, we can get you back on your feet more quickly by enlisting MLS therapy as part of your plantar fasciitis treatment plan. Most patients need 6 to 12 sessions to fully recover. 

To see for yourself how MLS laser therapy can help you heal more quickly and strongly from plantar fasciitis, we invite you to contact us to schedule MLS therapy in our Purchase Location 3010 Westchester avenue suite 208 Purchase, NY 10577.