Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for the Foot/Ankle in Kennewick, WA

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Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for the Foot/Ankle in Kennewick, WA

March 27, 2025

What is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy for the Foot or Ankle pain?

Heel pain is a common issue that can significantly impact your daily activities and overall quality of life. At Benton Franklin Orthopedic Associates, Dr. Derrick McKay and our team are dedicated to providing comprehensive care to help you find relief from heel pain and get back on your feet.

This blog post will explore the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for heel pain, offering valuable insights and solutions.

What Causes Heel Pain?

Heel pain can result from various conditions, including:

Plantar Fasciitis: This is the most common cause of heel pain, characterized by inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes.
Achilles Tendinitis: This condition involves inflammation of the Achilles tendon, which connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. It often results from overuse, particularly in athletes.
Heel Spurs: These are bony growths that develop on the underside of the heel bone, often associated with plantar fasciitis.
Bursitis: Inflammation of the bursae, the small fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons, and muscles near your joints, can cause heel pain.
Stress Fractures: Tiny cracks in the heel bone, often caused by repetitive stress or overuse, can lead to significant pain.

Symptoms of Heel Pain

The symptoms of heel pain can vary depending on the underlying cause but often include:

Sharp or Stabbing Pain: Particularly noticeable with the first steps in the morning or after long periods of rest.
Aching or Throbbing Pain: This can occur after prolonged standing or walking.
Swelling and Redness: Inflammation around the heel area.
Tenderness: The heel may be sensitive to touch.

Plantar fasciitis, or heel pain, can occur with excessive exercise, occupations that require you to spend a lot of time on your feet, inadequate warm-up before physical activity or poorly fitted shoes. The two structures primarily associated with heel pain are the plantar fascia (a band of connective tissue along the bottom of the foot that supports the arch) and the flexor digitorum brevis muscle. When these muscles experience prolonged stretching, bone spurs and tears damage are created.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a treatment that helps to relieve pain that is offered in the clinic setting. This therapy shows potential to speed healing after injury. Blood is made up of plasma, white blood cells, red blood cells, ad platelets. Plasma is the liquid part of your blood, that is mostly made of water and protein. The plasma of your blood allows the platelets, red and white blood cells to move throughout the bloodstream. Platelets are the cells in the blood that makes your blood clot and is involved in the body’s healing process. The body’s initial reaction when an injury occurs is to send platelets to the injured area medical literature is showing PRP can stimulate repair through the release of growth factors and attraction of stem cells to the site. The concentrated platelet-rich plasma drawn in our clinic is injected into and around your injury site, which again studies show triggers your system to begin repairing and rebuilding tissue. PRP therapy is used during surgery and to treat arthritis, tendonitis, fractures, and injuries such as tendon and ligament tears.

There are many applications for PRP in use today for chronic issues related to the foot and ankle. PRP is great for treating nagging injuries to the foot or ankles and or plantar fasciitis. Plantar Fasciitis often co-exists with other lesions of muscles and joints such as bursitis, capsulitis, synovitis and arthritis. In all these cases, platelet rich plasma injections are not only safe but a preferred therapy to alleviate these other conditions as well as Plantar Fasciitis.

Benton Franklin Orthopedic Associates has developed an environment whereby we are able to administer the platelet-rich plasma in a dedicated sterile environment utilizing ultrasound guidance technique to maximize the placement of the needle which is administering the PRP therapy.

Why Choose PRP Treatment for your Ankle?

Studies have even shown possible evidence that your PRP is better than lubricating injections for cartilage healing…..PRP or Hyaluronate in the Management of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus, Omer Mei-Dan, Israel. Osteochondral lesions of the ankle treated with intra-articular injections of PRP and HA resulted in a decrease in pain scores and an increase in function for at least 6 months, with minimal adverse events. We are seeing new data correlated to the possible benefits in Platelet-rich plasma treatment led to a significantly better outcome than Hyaluronic Acid.

Advantages of PRP therapy include:

Non-surgical so no risks of surgery
Does not require the use of anesthesia or hospital stays
Hastens recovery time
Patient’s own blood is used lessening any risk of transmissible diseases or allergies

How long does a PRP therapy take?

PRP Treatment is usually done within a 45 minute office visit.

Are the treatments covered by insurance?

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment was just covered with certain insurances in August of 2021 but are not covered for podiatry yet. If you have any questions regarding your coverage, please ask your insurance carrier for details.

Do I need a referral to see a podiatrist?

No, you can self-refer to any of our podiatrists. However, your insurance carrier may require a referral before covering appointments and treatments. Check with your insurance company to understand your specific benefits.

Meet Dr. Derrick McKay, DPM, FACFAS

Dr. McKay was introduced to foot and ankle surgery when he began college and was immediately fascinated by the complexities of the foot and ankle. He frequently hears patients say, “I don’t notice my feet until they start bothering me.” Foot and ankle pain can be very debilitating and interfere with daily activities. Dr. McKay enjoys helping people literally get back on their feet and resume their normal lives.

While living in Chicago and Boston during his medical training, Dr. McKay still considered the Columbia Basin to be home. As a Kennewick native, it was important to him to return to the Tri-Cities to begin his career and give back to the community that has already given him so much.

Dr. McKay is board certified in Foot & Ankle Surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery®. He is a fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. He attended podiatric school at Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery and completed his residency at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, MA. His special emphasis areas include foot and ankle surgery, trauma, sports medicine, and pediatric and adult deformity corrections.

In his free time, Dr. McKay enjoys reading, playing tennis, hiking and camping, and spending time with his wife and two children.

PRP can be a treatment option to help manage symptoms and improve your quality of life.

At Benton Franklin Orthopedic Associates, Dr. Derrick McKay and our team are committed to providing compassionate and effective care for those suffering from heel pain.

If you have any questions or need more information about our services, please don't hesitate to contact us at 509-585-3622.

We look forward to helping you get back on your feet and resume your normal activities with confidence.