Take a step toward healthy, happy feet, with help from Finesse Footcare
By Patricia Nugent
With the weather sidelining many runners and athletes, the dead of winter is the perfect time to address the health and wellness of your underappreciated feet.
Specializing in an umbrella of services to treat chronic pain and alignment issues of the foot and ankle, Finesse Footcare in Lyndhurst can have you back on the road, track or course by springtime.
“When I took over the practice from retired podiatrist Dr. Brian Weiss in 2019, the first thing I did was start investing in new technologies for the most advanced level of care,” says founder Dr. Danielle L. Shaper.
Starting with state-of-the-art digital X-rays to get a clear picture of the foot’s structure, she diagnoses the condition and recommends a course of treatment, often taking a combinational approach, tapping into more than one modality for optimum outcomes.
The Latest Advancements in Foot Care
After doing extensive research, Dr. Shaper has introduced new technologies to the area, including the Lunula Laser for toenail fungus, Radial Shockwave therapy, and, just this month, amniotic stem cell injections and a new low-level cold laser, the FX 635.
“There’s nothing else on the market that works quite like this laser,” she says, noting that it is FDA-cleared for both heel pain and musculoskeletal pain. “During a treatment regimen, a small device emitting a laser beam is placed over the target area. Low levels of light penetrate the tissue without heating or damaging the skin. Light energy encourages the cells to produce more ATP to trigger natural healing. It’s painless and non-invasive.”
Another innovative modality is stem cell injections, during which Dr. Shaper injects amniotic fluid into damaged tissue to help it regenerate.
With Shockwave, mechanical energy is transferred to the foot through a hand-held device. Pulsed energy heals inflamed tissue by increasing circulation on a cellular level and boosting the immune system’s natural response.
These treatments work well in conjunction with each other to address heel pain and other issues such as plantar fasciitis, inflammation, tendonitis, Achilles conditions, ankle sprains and neuropathy.
Another common and nagging ailment is toenail fungus. To address this, Dr. Shaper introduced the breakthrough non-thermal and touchless Lunula Laser.
Her patients have seen dramatic improvement, on par or better than with oral medications, which can cause side effects. Patients just place their feet within the unit and laser light goes back and forth painlessly over their feet.
In addition to pain issues and toenail fungus, Dr. Shaper treats most ailments of the foot and ankle, including ingrown toenails, bunions, hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, corns, warts, calluses, sprained ankles, diabetic footcare and spurs. She also fits patients with custom orthotics to realign the biomechanics of the foot, and performs routine footcare for those who need it.
Whatever treatment plan you and Dr. Shaper map out, you’ll enjoy it in her newly opened office, in the same building and on the same floor as her previous location.
“We wanted to create an environment that delivered high-tech care in a pampering and luxurious spa-like setting,” she says. “We’ve also taken a proactive approach to safeguards against Covid, from purchasing special chairs with barriers, to installing anti-microbial countertops and thoroughly sterilizing the treatment rooms between visits.”
Finesse Footcare is located at 5035 Mayfield Road, Suite 202, in Lyndhurst. The practice accepts a wide variety of insurance plans and financing options are available. Call 216-382-8070, or visit FinesseFootcare.com for more information.