Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel and arch pain, and one of the most persistent. Richter Family Chiropractic approaches plantar fasciitis, chronic heel pain, heel spurs, arch pain, and Achilles tendonitis with the tools this office actually has in-house — Storz Medical shockwave in both radial and focused form, Storz Magnetolith EMTT, two Class IV therapeutic lasers, chiropractic care, and physiotherapy. Whether these are right for your case depends on what your examination shows.
Dr. Richter's plantar fasciitis care is built for patients with the foot and heel conditions below — including those who have already worked through stretching, supportive footwear, and injections without getting where they hoped.
Each of the options below helps some people, and some of them may still belong in your care. They work on different parts of the problem — and if one of them had resolved your heel pain, you probably would not be reading this page.
An injection can quiet an inflamed fascia, and for some people that window is enough to break the cycle. For others the pain returns once it wears off, because the injection addressed the inflammation rather than the mechanical load that produced it.
Surgery is the right answer for some heel patients, and when we think you need a surgical consult we will say so directly. Most people want to know they have worked through conservative options first, which is usually where we come in.
Medication can make standing and walking manageable while you sort out what is wrong, and that is a legitimate role for it. What it does not do is change the condition of the tissue. Many patients tell us the pain is waiting for them when the bottle runs out.
Calf stretching and rolling the arch are genuinely useful, and your doctor will likely have you keep doing them. They work on flexibility and symptom relief, which is a different mechanism than acoustic wave therapy applied directly to chronically irritated tissue.
Better shoes and off-the-shelf supports reduce daily strain for a lot of people, and they are an inexpensive first step worth taking. They change how the foot is loaded from the outside. They are not aimed at the condition of the fascia itself.
Adjustment addresses joint motion in the foot, ankle, knee, and hip, and that matters when the chain above the foot is contributing. It is a different mechanism than shockwave, EMTT, or laser. For plantar fasciitis specifically, our doctors generally combine them rather than relying on any one.
Dr. Richter's approach to plantar fasciitis pairs in-office modalities with the mechanics above the foot. Shockwave — this office runs both the Storz radial and Storz focused devices — is applied to the chronically irritated fascia and its insertion, alongside Class IV laser, EMTT, chiropractic care, and physiotherapy. The plan is built from your examination findings, not from a fixed package.
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Several therapies used together, each doing a different job. Which of them apply to you is decided by your examination — not everyone receives all of them.
A radial pressure wave device. Energy is delivered at the skin surface and disperses over a broader, shallower area — used across the arch, the heel pad, and the calf complex feeding into the fascia.
A focused shockwave device. Energy is concentrated at a selected depth rather than spread across the surface — used when the target sits deeper and more precisely located, such as the fascial insertion at the heel or a calcification.
The office has two Class IV therapeutic lasers, including a 40-watt LightForce deep tissue unit. Laser is applied over the plantar fascia and surrounding soft tissue as part of the program.
Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy — a high-energy pulsed electromagnetic field device used for musculoskeletal conditions. Contact-free, and often applied in the same visit as shockwave.
Your doctor assesses the foot, ankle, knee, hip, and pelvis, and addresses the joint restrictions above the foot that change how the arch is loaded when you walk and stand.
Stretching and strengthening protocols for the plantar fascia, calf complex, and intrinsic foot muscles, prescribed for in-office and at-home work so the tissue is being reinforced between visits.
No surprises. Here's exactly how it works from your first call to your recovery.
Many plantar fasciitis patients have already tried stretching, supportive footwear, injections, or anti-inflammatories without lasting relief. The $59 New Patient Exam is how you find out what is actually driving your heel pain and whether this office can help.
Visit 1 · ~30-35 minFull assessment with your doctor — including foot and ankle imaging if clinically indicated, hands-on evaluation of the fascia and its insertion, walking and weight-bearing observation, and assessment of the ankle, knee, and hip. We look for the mechanical contributors, not just the inflamed spot.
Visit 1 · Same dayYour doctor explains what the examination showed so far, what still needs review, and what to expect at your Diagnosis & Treatment Plan visit. If we have printed information relevant to your case, it goes home with you.
Visit 1On Visit 2, your doctor presents your plan in full: which therapies are indicated and how they are sequenced, how many sessions it will take, how long it will take, and the exact cost. If this office is not the right fit for your case, we will tell you and point you toward appropriate care.
Visit 2 · Included in $59If you decide to move forward, treatment begins on Visit 2 — combining shockwave, Class IV laser, EMTT where indicated, chiropractic care, and physiotherapy — following the session count and schedule your doctor just laid out. Your new patient exam covers both of your first two visits; treatment is billed separately, at the cost quoted on Visit 2.
Same day on Visit 2 if you choose to proceedThe goal of care is less morning heel pain, more comfortable standing and walking, and a return to the activity you have been avoiding. How long the fascia has been irritated shapes what that road looks like — and your doctor tells you the expected number of sessions and the timeline on Visit 2, not after you have started.
Individualized care planAfter your evaluation, if our protocols aren't a good fit, your doctor will tell you honestly — and help point you in the right direction. That's the Richter Family Chiropractic promise.
You may be a candidate if you have:
We'll tell you honestly if we can't help with:
The only way to know definitively is a full evaluation. Your doctor will assess your condition and give you an honest answer — for just $59.
Book My New Patient Exam →No obligation · A straight answer, even if it's not us
Take the first step — a full New Patient Exam with one of our doctors for just $59. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help.
Book My New Patient Exam →Two of the more significant developments in non-surgical heel pain care are shockwave therapy (ESWT) and EMTT (Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy). Shockwave delivers acoustic pressure waves through a handpiece placed against the heel. This office has both the Storz radial and the Storz focused devices, so the energy can be spread across the arch or concentrated at a set depth. EMTT, delivered with the Storz Magnetolith, uses a high-energy pulsed electromagnetic field and is contact-free. Both are non-invasive, with no injection, incision or anesthetic, and both are available here in Corona rather than only at a specialty clinic or hospital.
There is no single answer that fits everyone. The right approach depends on how long you have had it, how severe it is, and what you have already tried. Many cases settle with stretching, supportive footwear and time. For heel pain that has lasted months despite that, shockwave is one of the most widely studied non-surgical options, and at this office it may be combined with Class IV laser, EMTT, chiropractic care and rehabilitation exercises. A focused examination is the starting point for deciding which combination makes sense for your situation.
There is no universally accepted staging system for plantar fasciitis, but the condition does range from mild and occasional to severe and long-standing. If you have had heel pain for months, especially if it has stopped responding to rest, stretching or shoe inserts, that is a sign it deserves a closer look. A few other problems, such as an irritated nerve or a stress fracture, can feel similar, so a thorough examination is how you find out what is actually driving the pain and which options make sense at that point.
The typical pattern is a sharp pain at the bottom of the heel that is worst with the first steps in the morning or after sitting for a while, eases somewhat once you get moving, and comes back after long periods of standing or walking. That pattern is common, but it is not proof. Achilles problems, an irritated nerve and stress fractures can all cause heel pain, and they are handled differently, which is why your doctor examines the foot, the ankle and the joints above them before recommending anything.
Not necessarily. A heel spur is a small bony growth that can show up on an X-ray, and it is often found in people who have plantar fasciitis. But many people have heel spurs with no pain at all, and many people with plantar fasciitis have no spur. A spur on an X-ray does not by itself explain your pain, so your doctor also looks at the soft tissue and at how your foot is loaded when you stand and walk.
Usually not. Plantar fasciitis is generally identified from your history and a hands-on examination. If something in the examination points to another cause, such as a possible stress fracture, your doctor will arrange imaging. If you already have X-rays or an MRI of the foot, bring them to your first visit.
No. This office does not cast, fabricate or fit custom orthotics. Supportive footwear and off-the-shelf inserts are a reasonable first step for many people, and your doctor can talk through what to look for. If your examination suggests custom orthotics would help, you will be referred to someone who makes them.
That depends on your findings, and any office quoting you a number before examining you is guessing. Shockwave and laser are typically delivered as a series rather than a single visit. Your doctor lays out what is indicated, how it is sequenced, how many sessions it will take and what it costs on your second visit, after the examination, rather than after you have already started.
It depends on your plan. Some policies cover shockwave for plantar fasciitis and others do not, so there is no general answer. Richter Family Chiropractic accepts cash payment, insurance, and attorney liens on personal-injury cases. Call the office at (951) 817-9815 and the front desk will go over what your plan covers before you commit to anything.