A physiotherapist has been treating an England rugby star’s chronic heel pain by using a pioneering new therapy.
Rhys Carter, physiotherapist and director of The Carter & George practice in Radlett, has used a new combination therapy from Switzerland to treat England International rugby star Jamie George.
Jamie, 30, who plays for Saracens, England and The British & Irish Lions, suffered from chronic plantar fasciitis for two years, and the condition, one of the most common complaints in runners, classically causes stabbing foot pains and can be debilitating.
At its worst, it left the rugby player in so much pain that he would limp off after a training session on the club’s artificial pitch.
Jamie George pictured at Twickenham stadium in early February. Credit: PA
Rhys has been treating Jamie, who he works with, with a new Laser and Shock Wave combination therapy concept from DolorClast that helps treat musculoskeletal pain.
It works by combing radial and focused shock waves with high-power laser therapies to stimulate tissue regeneration, increase blood flow and break down scar tissue, thus increasing the speed of recovery.
Jamie, who was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis after an ultrasound scan, said: "Rhys suggested we treated it with shockwave therapy, which I have had before, but he also suggested the use of laser prior to using the shockwave. He explained that the analgesic effect of the laser would allow him to get more pressure from the shockwave, which in turn should accelerate the healing process.
"Alongside a stringent stretching and strengthening programme, devised by our strength and conditioning team at Saracens, I had four sessions of Laser and Shockwave each separated by a week."
England's Jamie George during a training session. Credit: PA
Jamie added: "By the end of the fourth week, I had experienced a 60 per cent improvement in pain, particularly after training and first thing in the morning. I continued the strength training for another month and would estimate a 95 per cent recovery now, with only mild discomfort after a game on an artificial pitch. This used to cause so much pain that I would limp.
"I would thoroughly recommend the laser and shockwave treatment for any particularly stubborn injuries, and I know where to go if my pain ever returns."
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