Treating runner’s heel without surgery

Whether it’s from playing pickleball, tennis, golf or running, millions of Americans will suffer an over-use injury this year.

The pain can literally stop them in their tracks. When physical therapy and meds don’t work, surgery was often the last step until now.

Ara Miralles is someone who benefitted from a new minimally invasive procedure.

Miralles is an accomplished athlete. “Running is my meditation,” she said.

From marathons, half-Ks and 10Ks, her body took a pounding.

“It was just to the point where I had, sort of, had enough,” she said.

Eventually, pain in her Achilles tendon forced Miralles to stop running. She tried physical therapy and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) treatments, but nothing helped.

“Her tendon was so inflamed and swollen and painful that you could see it from across the room. It was red and swollen,” said her doctor, Ken Taylor. He is a sports medicine specialist with UC San Diego Health.

Dr. Taylor uses percutaneous ultrasound tenotomy, or PUT, to break down the diseased tendon.

“We’re basically taking this needle, and we’re sticking it into the diseased part of the tendon,” said Taylor.

This procedure increases blood flow to the tendon, allowing the body to rebuild itself naturally without surgery. PUT can be done at the doctor’s office, reducing the time and cost.

With traditional surgery, patients need at least six months to recover. With PUT, they can be up and running in six weeks.

“To see it actually look normal again in such a short period of time in a marathon runner, I think, is pretty amazing,” Taylor said.

Miralles was running six weeks after her procedure. Eight months later, she completed the Boston Marathon in three hours and 43 minutes.

Dr. Taylor said the procedure is also helping pickleball players get their bounce back. PUT can also be used for shoulders, hips and hamstrings.

Treating conditions include tennis and golfer’s elbow, jumper’s knee, bone spurs and plantar fasciitis.