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Regenerative Medicine

When your feet hurt, everything else gets harder. Walking the dog, keeping up at work, getting through a grocery run. Most people put up with it longer than they should.

At The Art of Foot & Ankle, Dr. Ashim Wadehra uses regenerative medicine to help the body do what it already wants to do: heal. These treatments are not about masking pain with medication or jumping straight to surgery. They work by supporting your body’s own repair process at the tissue level, so you can actually get better rather than just feel better temporarily.

We offer three main regenerative treatments in our Birmingham, Michigan office, and each one works a little differently depending on what your foot or ankle needs.

Umbilical Cord Tissue Allograft

This is one of the more interesting tools we have. In its natural state, umbilical cord tissue contains mesenchymal stem cells, growth factors, collagen, and other proteins that can support tissue repair when applied to a damaged area in the foot or ankle. The tissue comes from donated umbilical cords after healthy, full term deliveries. The donors consent to the process, and the tissue is carefully processed and screened before it ever reaches our office.

So what does it actually do? When we apply the allograft to an injured or worn down area, it introduces a concentrated mix of naturally occurring proteins and growth factors directly to the site. Think of it as giving your body additional raw materials to work with. Your cells still do the repair work. The allograft just supplies more of the building blocks they need.

Get Heel Pain Relief

Where We Use It

Dr. Wadehra uses umbilical cord tissue allograft for patients dealing with conditions where the body’s natural healing has either stalled or needs extra support. Some of the most common applications include:

Chronic heel pain and plantar fasciitis

That has not responded to rest, stretching, or cortisone. When the fascia stays inflamed for months, sometimes it needs more than time. The allograft can help support repair at the tissue level where the damage is actually happening.

Joint pain from arthritis

In the foot or ankle. Arthritis wears down cartilage over time, and the body often cannot keep up with the damage on its own. Applying the allograft to the affected joint can support the tissue environment and may help reduce pain and stiffness.

Fractures that are slow to heal

Some fractures, especially in patients with other health conditions, take longer to knit together. The growth factors in the allograft can support bone and soft tissue repair in these cases.

Post surgical recovery

After minimally invasive foot surgery, applying the allograft to the surgical site can support faster tissue repair and may help the body recover more comfortably.

What to Expect

The procedure itself is straightforward. Dr. Wadehra applies the allograft directly to the treatment area during an office visit. Most patients are in and out within an hour. There is no general anesthesia, no hospital visit, and most people go back to their normal routine the same day or within a day or two.

Results vary. Some patients notice improvement within a few weeks. Others take longer. Dr. Wadehra will talk through realistic expectations based on your specific condition during your consultation.

One thing worth mentioning: this is not a magic fix. We are not making claims about curing any disease or condition. What we are doing is giving your body better tools to work with. For many patients, that makes a real difference in their pain levels and how well they can move.

Class IV Laser Therapy (MLS Laser)

Our MLS (Multiwave Locked System) laser uses two synchronized wavelengths of light to reach deep into the tissues of the foot and ankle. It is not the same as those little red laser pointers or the low level lasers you might have seen at a physical therapy office. The Class IV designation means it delivers enough energy to actually affect tissue at depth.
Learn About MLS Laser Therapy

How It Works

The laser light penetrates through the skin and into the affected tissue. At the cellular level, it stimulates activity in the mitochondria (the part of the cell that produces energy). When cells have more energy to work with, they can repair themselves more efficiently. The result is less inflammation, less pain, and faster tissue recovery.

What makes our MLS laser different from other lasers is the dual wavelength system. One wavelength targets inflammation. The other targets pain. They pulse together in a synchronized pattern, and that combination tends to produce better results than either wavelength would on its own.

What We Treat With It

We use laser therapy for a range of foot and ankle problems. Plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, neuropathy, arthritis, and general soft tissue inflammation all respond well. It is also helpful after surgery, when the goal is to bring down swelling and support healing at the incision site.

Treatments are painless. Most patients feel nothing at all during the session, maybe a slight warmth at most. Each session takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Dr. Wadehra typically recommends a series of treatments, usually somewhere between 6 and 12 sessions depending on the condition.

There is no downtime. You can drive yourself to the appointment, get treated, and go right back to whatever you were doing.

Shockwave Therapy (ESWT/EPAT)

Shockwave therapy is probably the treatment that surprises patients the most. It uses acoustic pressure waves (think of them as controlled pulses of energy) delivered through the skin into the affected tissue. Despite the name, there is no actual electric shock involved.
Learn About Shockwave Therapy

How It Works

The pressure waves create a micro level disruption in the tissue. That sounds counterintuitive, but the disruption triggers the body to send blood and healing resources to the area. Essentially, the treatment wakes up a healing response in tissue that has stopped progressing on its own. It also helps break up scar tissue and adhesions that may be contributing to stiffness and pain.

A handheld device is pressed against the skin over the painful area. The clinician moves it around based on your feedback about where the discomfort is. Sessions are relatively quick. Most are done in 15 to 20 minutes.

What We Treat With It

Shockwave therapy works well for conditions where tissue has been stubbornly inflamed or where healing has stalled out. We use it most often for plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, heel spurs, stress fractures, ligament sprains, and Morton’s neuroma.

Most patients need between 3 and 6 sessions, spaced out over several weeks. Some people notice improvement after the first couple of sessions, but the full effect of shockwave therapy can take 10 to 15 weeks to show up. That is because the treatment starts a healing process that continues well after you leave the office.

There is no anesthesia needed, no incisions, and you can walk out of the office the same day. Some patients experience mild soreness at the treatment site afterward, but that usually resolves on its own within a day.

Why We Use Regenerative Medicine Instead of (or Before) Cortisone

A lot of patients come to us after getting cortisone injections somewhere else. Cortisone can reduce inflammation and pain quickly, and that is useful. But it does not help tissue repair itself. The relief is often temporary, and repeated cortisone injections can actually weaken tendons and connective tissue over time.

Regenerative treatments work differently. Instead of suppressing inflammation, they encourage the body to complete its repair process. That is a slower approach, and it requires patience. But for many patients, it leads to longer lasting improvement because the underlying tissue is actually healing rather than just being quieted down.

Dr. Wadehra does not take a one size fits all approach. He evaluates each patient individually and recommends the treatment or combination of treatments that makes the most sense for their condition, their lifestyle, and their goals.

Learn About Minimally Invasive Surgery

Regenerative Medicine Disclaimer:

The regenerative medicine treatments offered at The Art of Foot & Ankle are intended to support the body’s natural healing environment and tissue response. Individual results may vary, and no guarantees regarding outcomes are made or implied.

The human tissue products utilized in our office are obtained from FDA registered tissue banks and undergo donor screening and processing in accordance with applicable regulatory standards for human cellular and tissue based products.

Statements made on this website are for educational and informational purposes only. These products and treatments are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition, and statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Treatment recommendations are individualized based on each patient’s condition, medical history, clinical evaluation, and goals. Results may vary from patient to patient.

Schedule a Consultation

If you have been dealing with foot or ankle pain that will not go away, or if you are looking for options beyond cortisone and medication, regenerative medicine may be worth exploring. Dr. Wadehra and the team at The Art of Foot & Ankle can help you figure out whether these treatments are a good fit for your situation.

Call us at (248) 341 0602 or visit our office at 800 North Old Woodward, Suite 100, Birmingham, Michigan 48009.

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