Plantar fasciitis, ankle sprain, ankle injury, Achilles heel tendinopathy, peroneal tendinitis are all common types of foot and ankle injuries. Acupuncture is frequently used as an adjunct to support healing and pain control in these circumstances. Most often patients will seek an acupuncturist when their foot pain has reached a more chronic or severe level and other conservative therapies have not been successful. Though early is always better! At times foot pain that is not healing may require further evaluation by a specialist or new imaging study. Otherwise also consider structural factors like a pelvic tilt, leg length discrepancy, posture, gastrocnemius muscle tightness, etc. Delayed healing, may also be influenced by more systemic causes such as hormonal changes, and or underlying inflammatory conditions such as diabetes.
Utilizing a combination of structural acupuncture approaches to help balance the whole body along with points that may promote decreased inflammation and improved perfusion in the body can help certain patients get past barriers of healing.
Electroacupuncture for plantar fasciitis:
Signs of Plantar Fasciitis
- First step foot pain in the morning
- Worse by the end of the day
- Worsens with long periods of standing
- Pain is sharp and doesn’t radiate and usually is only at the bottom of the foot
- Hurts to press near the attachment site of the fascia to the heel bone (or calcaneous
- Can sometimes even be swollen
Care of Plantar Fasciitis
- Stretches, using towel stretches and other home exercises
- Rolling a cold can under the foot while sitting
- Changing shoe wear and adding a shoe insert to provide proper arch support
- Taking over the counter Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
- More severe cases may require oral steroid, steroid injections, extracorporeal shock wave treatments, night splints, and or surgical procedure
Common Integrative Therapies*:
- Acupuncture
- Chiropractic Care
- Massage
- Osteopathic Manipulation
- Prolotherapy
- PRP Injections
*Often integrative therapies and or conservative therapies will need to be done in combination to reach more optimal results for patients.
The contents of this website, such as text, graphics, images and other material are intended for informational and educational purposes only and not for the purpose of rendering medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Please consult your physician for personalized medical advice. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions regarding a medical condition. Never disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice or treatment because of something you have read on this website.
