Alternative Foot Care
For patients who are not in favor of or do not feel comfortable with traditional medicine and allopathic programs which typically involve the taking of prescription medications and may employ the use of cortisone injection, there is now an alternative option that is available. We now offer a holistic approach of integrative podiatric medicine that uses a regime of holistic (natural) products and treatment protocols that focus on the unhealthy aspects of lifestyle and diet that is often the underlying cause of many disease processes.
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This approach is not for everyone and not all problems may be addressed in this fashion, but many can and respond quite well to this paradigm. The design of this option lends itself to the elimination of side effects of the use of traditional pharmaceutical agents and injectables. More importantly, it focuses on overall health and wellness and strong immunity including:
- Assessment of food sensitivities by scientific testing of blood antibodies
- Hormone testing to evaluate levels of stress by laboratory testing
- Assessment of lifestyle patterns
- Sleep patterns
A holistic treatment program is then designed that focuses on wellness, nutrition, sleep and lifestyle changes to realign both body and immunity back into the balance that naturally occurs. It is reinforced with holistic dietary supplementation that is personally tailored to your specific needs, based on scientific laboratory testing. Reduction in the food groups to which you show most sensitivity helps to address the most common causes of chronic inflammation that is responsible for recurrent joint/tendon pain, fatigue, and an array of skin disorders. These conditions not only adversely affect the legs and feet, but negatively affect the entire body as a whole.
We treat people, not just feet! So this paradigm is directed at addressing the entire being, not just the painful foot or ankle concern. Beyond diet modification, we will recommend and assist in arranging the following which are of great help in successful outcomes:
- Stress management through an exercise program
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Massage therapy
Massage therapy has been medically proven to be of great benefit both physically and psychologically. It can be beneficial in muscle relaxation and improvement of posture, improvement of blood circulation, reduction of anxiety and levels of stress, and has even been shown to lower blood pressure, in addition to many other benefits that directly affect work performance and interpersonal relationships.
Some of the treatment options that we employ as an adjunct to lifestyle management in lieu of traditional medications and steroid injections include:
Erchonia Cold Laser Therapy
Consists of amplified light tuned to a specific wavelength that is focused on the painful areas of the foot and ankle. It penetrates deeply into the tissues and biologically stimulates the damaged cells in the area by photo-bio-stimuation (cellular light absorption/stimulation) to enhance a process of natural repair and healing at the most basic cellular level.
High Energy Extra Corporeal Shock Wave Therapy
Consists of high energy ultrasound waves that are focused on the area of pain in the heel or Achilles tendon and cause an inflammatory process in the area that in turn stimulates the natural process of healing of the chronically painful ligament or tendon. The success rate of this procedure has almost totally eliminated the need for open heel surgery. This procedure has no recovery down time at all.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Platelet -Rich Plasma (PRP) has continued to grow as a reliable way to treat soft tissue and joint injuries effectively. People experience these kinds of injuries for many reasons - sometimes they are due to intense sports or can be a result of aging or developing arthritis. In any of these cases, PRP can help heal the affected tissues more quickly. Additionally, PRP has aesthetic applications such as improving overall skin and hair health.
Our blood predominantly consists of plasma, which carries red and white blood cells and platelets. PRP is created by drawing some of the patient’s own blood and then using a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets within a sample of the plasma. This concentrated sample of platelets is then combined with the original blood sample. We can then inject this platelet-rich blood into the injured or painful area. Platelets contain an array of growth factors that help assist the body’s natural ability to repair tissue damage and address areas of chronic pain and inflammation. While results may not occur immediately, studies have shown that overall healing time is dramatically reduced, and inflammation is tempered.
Cold Laser Therapy
We specialize in cold laser therapy. Cold laser therapy is a treatment that utilizes specific wavelengths of light to interact with tissue and help accelerate your healing process. Cold laser treatment can be used on people suffering from both acute and chronic conditions in order to eliminate pain and swelling, increase functionality, and reduce spasms.
Cold laser penetrates beneath the surface of the skin of the foot and ankle being treated and modulates a cascade of biochemical reactions that naturally occur in the body that help reduce pain and inflammation and stimulate healing at the cellular level. It can be used to treat painful conditions of the foot and ankle. It is FDA approved and has a great deal of medial quality research supporting its use and success.
Corticosteroids are a quick fix and do help to temporarily reduce inflammation. However, they do carry with them harmful side effects and are well known to be counterproductive to long-term healing.
Laser Nail Therapy
Here at Bay Breeze Foot & Ankle Specialists, we are proud to offer Laser Treatment for infected fungal nails. Laser Treatment is used as needed to achieve the best results possible. We use the laser over your toenails, exposed nail, and the surrounding tissues that are involved. The laser pulses several times per second which then passes through the tissue, treating the fungus, mold, and bacteria of that surrounding area without causing damage. We are proud to use the latest technologies to assist in treating infected fungal nails. If you have any questions about Laser Nail Therapy, Alternative Foot Care would love to assist you. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at (727) 734-5575.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is a holistic technique that employs the use of varying concentrations of a sterile dextrose solution that is injected into the area of a damaged tendon or ligament of the foot or ankle. Dextrose is a naturally occurring simple sugar derived from corn.
It helps the body to naturally strengthen weakened or damaged tendons or ligaments without the need for surgery. It assists in the body’s capacity to heal itself without the use of corticosteroids and their harmful side effects.
High Energy Shock Wave Therapy
We are happy to offer to our patients High Energy Shock Wave Therapy as an additional non-invasive option for treating conditions of chronic pain. This modality works by emitting acoustic (ultrasound) waves of energy to the painful area of the foot or heel. These acoustic waves travel through the skin and reach into the deeper tissues and releasing energy to stimulate the body’s natural ability to repair and to heal itself. The result is less pain and inflammation and better overall function.
Stress Management Cortisol Levels
What causes stress?
Stress can take on many forms throughout one’s life. Sometimes, it feels like it comes in waves, washing over your body and making it hard to feel healthy and driven. While stress can be caused by different factors in your life, the underlying factor will always be cortisol. Stress and the feeling of fight or flight are both a result of your adrenal glands producing large amounts of cortisol. This means that clinical steps can be taken to reduce cortisol levels in your body and reduce stress in your life. Treatments such as IV nutrition and hydrogen therapy can help lower the amount of cortisol in your body.
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Initally, elevated cortisol levels are treated with a variety of stress management techniques that may include meditation, yoga therapy, therapeutic massage and a consistent program of exercise and behavior modifications. Normalizing sleep cycles are also very important.
Additionally, there are many types of antioxidants that can be taken orally. Many are helpful in controlling elevated levels of cortisol and may be recommended as part of a comprehensive plan to getting you back to a healthier and more active lifestyle.
Treating stress with hydrogen therapy
Hydrogen inhalation therapy uses a condensed aerated version of hydrogen. Patients who suffer from high cortisol levels have found that natural antioxidants like hydrogen help to relieve over-oxidation in the body. While there are other antioxidants available, none are as effective at penetrating tissue and fighting free radical cells as hydrogen therapy. When there are too many free radical cells in your body, they can cause a chain reaction that destroys healthy cells and causes stress on your body. Antioxidants like hydrogen work to counteract this chain reaction called oxidative stress. While working to break this chain, hydrogen therapy also helps to support the immune system in healing the body and relieving stress.
Alleviating stress with IV nutrition
IV nutrition therapy uses concentrated forms of minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients to charge the body with healthy nutrients. This allows the body to have the extra help it needs to boost your immune system, fight off infection, and increase your body’s healing process. Because these high concentrations are given through IV and not just consumed through eating and drinking, your body is able to consume larger amounts of vitamins and minerals directly into the bloodstream where their effectiveness can be maximized.
High concentrations of vitamins are also used for calming the adrenal glands. Since cortisol is created in the adrenal glands, IV nutrition and vitamin therapy can help slow down overactive adrenal glands and their production of cortisol, lowering stress levels.
