A recent Canadian study shows that an alternative treatment using high-intensity sound waves can reduce the excruciating pain of plantar fasciitis for the 10 per cent of Canadians with the condition who don't respond to conventional treatments. The condition – involving degeneration of the plantar fascia tissue, which runs along the bottom of the foot from heel to toe – occurs for different reasons, including overuse, injury, excess weight and calcification.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy treats plantar fasciitis with electrical shock waves that regenerate chronically injured tissue, explains Dr. Robert Gordon, an orthopedic surgeon and director of the Shockwave Institute for the Non Surgical Treatment of Bone, Heel and Joint Pain in Toronto. It can also be used to treat conditions such as tennis elbow, bursitis and stress fractures. Discuss the treatment with a qualified physician or podiatrist.