Services
East Penn Foot and Ankle Associates are committed to the diagnosis and treatment of all pediatric, adolescent and adult foot and ankle problems.
We Provide The Following Treatments
Services
Physical Therapy
Robbins Rehabilitation
Consistent, Personal Care & Attention You Need
Robbins Rehabilitation prides themselves in the fact that they get our patients back to their normal lives faster than other offices because you will see the same practitioner each time you come to their office. At Robbins Rehabilitation they see no more than two patients per hour because individual attention is a cornerstone of their treatment philosophy. They are dedicated to giving you the care and attention you need
At Robbins Rehabilitation, they will schedule your first visit within 24 hours of you contacting their office. They understand the importance of immediate care and are dedicated to starting your recovery as soon as possible.
Extra Corporal Shock-Wave Therapy
Extra Corporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) is a highly effective treatment for chronic Plantar Fasciitis, Heel Spurs, and Achilles tendonitis.
Most such surgery has been replaced with ESWT in which repeated shockwaves are applied to the painful fascia. This converts the chronic inflammation to acute inflammation which the body handles very well by repairing the fascia, getting rid of scar tissue and bringing in new blood vessels (neovasuclarization). Healing starts the first day and continues gradually over the next 10-12 weeks.
ESWT can be accomplished via one or two high energy session involving anesthesia or by low energy ESWT in which 3 low energy sessions are used in place of one high energy session and no anesthesia is needed. ESWT is successful 85 to 90 percent of the time when the plantar fascia does not repsond to conventional treatments. Surgical treatment as a treatment for heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis is rare. If a health professional mentions surgery before ESWT, look for the exit door to the office.
ESWT has none of the risks involved with traditional surgery, and you can return to work the next day. ESWT has a 94 percent success rate one year after treatment is completed.
Please contact us to schedule your next appointment to see if you are a candidate for this treatment.
PRP INJECTIONS - Treatment Option For Chronic Foot Conditions
PRP (platelet rich plasma) Injections are now offered at EPFAA
There have been great advances in non-surgical treatments for heel pain. We have been very reluctant to use surgery until all conservative options are exhausted. Recently, our office has started a procedure called "PRP" injection into the heel region. PRP (platelet rich plasma) is the portion of the blood that is harvested from your own blood and is re-injected back into the heel area to re-start the healing. PRP injection has been very succesful in treating chronic cases of plantar fasciitis and achilles tendinosis.
The idea of platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection is to allow the growth factors in the blood to be used to cause an inflammation process in the injured tissue to allow an increase in the healing response of the body. The blood is drawn and spun down. Under ultrasound guidance and local anesthesia in the office, the injection of the PRP is placed in the damaged tissue. This allows an increased growth factor release in the area that sparks the healing process
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP) is now available at East Penn Foot and Ankle Assocaites. This is a newer treatment that many professional athletes receive in order to heal and return to playing sooner. It is non-surgical, with quicker healing times and has been showing promising results for many conditions such as plantar fasciitis, tendonosis, ligament and tendon tears, bone healing, wound healing etc.
PRP INJECTIONS - Treatment Option For Chronic Foot Conditions |
What is PRP? |
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PRP is “platelet-rich plasma”. This is also known as autologous blood concentrate APC. Platelets are a specialized type of blood cell that are involved with injury healing. With PRP, a concentrated platelet solution is injected into the injured area to stimulate healing
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Why does it work? |
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PRP works by recreating and stimulating the bodies’ natural healing process. Since human platelets are naturally extremely rich in connective tissue growth factor, injecting these growth factors into damaged ligaments and tendons stimulates a natural repair process. In order to benefit from these natural healing proteins the platelets must first be concentrated.
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How is PRP done? |
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PRP is performed in our outpatient surgery center facility.
First, blood is drawn form the patient and placed in a special centrifuge, where the blood is spun down. During this process the platelets are separated from the red blood cells and are concentrated. The red blood cells are then discarded and the resulting platelets concentrate is used for treatment.
During the time the blood is spinning in the centrifuge, the painful area is injected with a local anesthetic such as lidocaine, to numb it up. The entire treatment takes approximately 30-40 minutes.
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Blood product drawn and spun down ready for extraction of the platelet rich plasma |
Final plasma product ready for injection into the injured tissue |
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Is PRP painful? |
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Since the painful area is anesthetized prior to the injection, the actual injections may be just slightly uncomfortable. Once the local anesthetic wears off, typically in a few hours, there is mild-to-moderate pain for the next few days.
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Post-injection care |
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For the first week after the injections it is critical to avoid anti-inflammatories such as Advil, Motrin, Ibuprofen, Aleve, Celebrex, Mobic etc. Also, patients are to avoid using ice on the treated area. These will interfere with the healing response.
Tylenol may be used for pain relief. Patients may be places into a cam walker or soft cast for 3-4 days, after the injection. Generally, patients may return to normal gym activities in 3-4 weeks after the treatment. |
How often can PRP be done? |
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Some patients respond very well after just one treatment. However, typically 1-3 treatments are necessary.
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Success Rate |
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Improvement of 80-85% is suggested by most studies. Some patients experience complete relief in their pain and the results are generally permanent!! |
Foot Conditions that are effectively treated with PRP |
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- Achilles Tendinosis
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Ankle Sprains
PRP works best for chronic ligament and tendon sprains/strains that have failed other conservative treatment. Also it can be used for bone healing and wounds and many other soft tissue injuries in the foot /ankle that may not be mentioned above. |
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Advanced Diagnostic Testing (In Office)
We Provide 24 Hour Emergency Care
To learn more about these conditions and ailments, visit our foot and ankle facts link.
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