Heel Pain Specialty Clinic of Canada
                                                                                                                                                              www.HeelPain.ca
                                                                                                                                                                    

 

What We Offer

 

You've tried everything for your heel pain.  Nothing's worked.  You feel you're out of options. 

This is where the Heel Pain Specialty Clinic comes in.  We're here to offer new, innovative treatment options to patients who haven't responded to anything else. 

The Heel Pain Specialty Clinic offers all standard conservative treatment options such as anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections, massage,  physiotherapy, stretching, night splints, taping and padding, rest, immobilization, acupuncture, compressive stockings or dressings, application of ice or heat, and so forth. 

We also provide biomechanical treatment options such as custom-made orthotics, shoes, sandals, boots, and braces. 

In fact, this field is one of Dr. Schumacher's specialties:  he is Board Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Orthopedics and Primary Medicine and is a Fellow in the American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics and Medicine.

For those patients who have not found success with traditional therapies or orthotic appliances, or for those patients for whom they are unnecessary, we have other several other cutting-edge treatment options that are very difficult to impossible to find in other facilities. 

For instance, we were the first facility in Canada to offer the piezoelectric form of ESWT, or extra-corporeal shockwave therapy, and we remain the only facility in at least western Canada.  In fact, this technology is still unavailable in the United States. 

ESWT works extremely well in many chronic, otherwise non-responsive cases of heel pain is Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy, or ESWT.   This is a very specialized machine that emits intense sound waves into the body to promote healing. 

ESWT technology is quite analogous to lithotripsy, the technique that breaks up kidney stones without surgery, except the version we employ is specifically designed for the musculoskeletal system.  It is particularly well suited to treat many causes of heel pain.  Indeed, we are pleased to report that success rates with this treatment (with success determined by the patients, themselves) is approximately 80%.  And this statistic is for patients with chronic cases of heel pain that haven't resolved through traditional, conservative means.   

 

The piezoelectric version of ESWT we possess is, in our opinion, the best version of ESWT available anywhere in the world.  This version covers all energy levels and it is the most precisely-focused version of ESWT in the world.  

Dr. Schumacher is a member of the International Society for Musculoskeletal Shockwave Therapy of Vienna, Austria. 

For more information on shockwave therapy, feel free to visit our website, www.ShockWaveTherapy.ca.

Another cutting-edge treatment for heel pain that may be indicated is something called cryosurgery.  Cryosurgery is a form of treatment that employs extreme cold to treat chronic pain.  The cold is applied to painful nerve fibers with a small, specialized probe through a very small incision, in a very controlled, very precise manner in order to permanently alleviate pain. 

The procedure is performed under local anesthetic, and the patient is able to walk post-operatively.  And because the incisions for cryosurgery are very small, the technique is relatively non-traumatic compared with other sorts of foot surgery.  So most patients have very little in the way of issues post-operatively. 

Success rates for cryosurgery are typically in the 80-90% range.  And again, this treatment is only performed in the worst cases, after conservative measures have failed. 

We are the very first facility in Canada to offer this technology, and one of just a handful across North America.  For more information on cryosurgery, visit our website, www.Cryosurgery.ca. 

Some specific causes of heel pain seem to be responsive to radiosurgery techniques.  This is an interesting technology where instead of using a scalpel, radio waves are used to therapeutic effect.  When applicable to heel pain conditions, this technique can offer interesting advantages over traditional surgery.  We are the first facility in Canada to offer radiosurgery to patients with foot conditions, and we have a great deal of experience, using this technology on nearly a daily basis. 

For more information on this technology, feel free to visit our complementary website, www.radiosurgery.ca.

With these exciting new treatment options, most cases of chronic heel pain rarely need traditional surgical techniques.  But when such options are required, you can feel comfortable that we have the facility and expertise to perform both traditional and minimal incision surgery (procedures where only a small incision is required). 

In fact, foot surgery is another of Dr. Schumacher's specialties.  Dr. Schumacher is Board Certified in foot surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and holder of Diplomate status with that organization.  He is also a Fellow in the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. 

So if your feet are causing you pain, immobility, or otherwise limit your enjoyment of life, don't give up. 

We may be able to provide you with some answers and find you solutions to get you back on your feet and back into action.