Acupuncture & Sports Massage for Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a reasonably common issue that can cause a lot of disruption to work and exercise routines causing stress and an inability to manage mental health. On that basis, it is something that people seek acupuncture or massage treatment with me regularly at my clinic in York. So what is it?
Plantar fasciitis causes pain in the heel and bottom of the foot. It occurs when the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs along the sole of your foot from the heel to the toes, becomes inflamed or irritated. This tissue supports the arch of your foot and acts as a shock absorber.
Key symptoms of plantar fasciitis:
Heel pain: Usually felt when you take your first steps in the morning or after rest.
Stiffness and tenderness: Particularly in the arch and heel area.
Gradual onset: Pain typically builds up over time rather than starting suddenly.
Common causes and risk factors of plantar fasciitis:
Overuse or stress: From running, standing for long periods, or improper footwear.
Foot mechanics: Flat feet, high arches, or abnormal walking patterns can place extra strain on the plantar fascia.
Stresses from other areas of the body. Tight muscles or connective tissue along the rear aspect of the body.
Analysing symptoms to create acupuncture & sports massage treatment
The best starting point when treating plantar fasciitis is by identifying the causes individual to you. Treatment is about getting you better, but if we can identify the causes we can significantly reduce the likelihood of the pain reoccurring. Sometimes we can't avoid the factors that cause the issue, but we can still find ways to manage or reduce the impact of that causal factor. For example, if you spend all day on your feet at work, we can't feasibly expect you to stop working, but better footwear may give your feet enough support to avoid the fascia getting irritated.
Another component of the treatment would be to assess other areas of the body. The plantar fascia is actually part of one long sheet of connective tissue called the Superficial Backline, this pathway also follows the Bladder channel used in Chinese Medicine theory. It runs from the feet all the way up the back of the body, to the head. This means if any of the joints, muscles or soft tissue on this pathway are out of alignment, constricted or injured, it can produce changes in the way we stand or walk and this can put extra pressure on the plantar fascia. If you've read any other of my blog post, you might also recognise this mechanism as stagnation in the bladder channel. If you want to learn more about the Chinese Medicine interpretation of painful conditions - this is a good article to read - https://www.benelliot.co.uk/post/how-can-acupuncture-sports-massage-relieve-the-pain-of-plantar-fasciitis
What is involved in treatment for plantar faciitis?
Because of all these possible differences in causes, the treatments I offer for plantar fasciitis can vary a great deal, depending on which areas of the body we are focussing on. We will likely treat the plantar fascia directly or adjacently as acupuncture is great at reducing the inflammation present with plantar fasciitis - and massage and manipulation techniques are good for stretching and relaxing the tight plantar connective tissue. However, where there is inflammation, there is often pain on pressure meaning the massage and acupuncture techniques may be too painful to treat in the first stages of treatment. In this case, we would work adjacently or along the restricted pathway of connected tissue, but not directly on the plantar fascia. Equally, some people aren't keen on needles, so we may choose to avoid acupuncture and use other methods to relieve the pain.
In summary - although plantar fasciitis is common, the changes in lifestyle and the approach needed for treatment will likely be different for each person. Some patients may have suffered from plantar fasciitis for years on and off, some patients may have had other injuries contributing to it, whereas others may have only had pain in their foot for a short while. Whatever your circumstances, Acupuncture and sports massage provide ways to recover and relieve pain without having to resort to regular anti-inflammatory medication or steroid injections.
Tips for dealing with plantar fasciitis at home
Generalised advice for dealing with the symptoms are:
Elevation and ice compress if the pain is particularly severe
Anti-inflammatory medication such as ibroprufen can be used for relief in the short term, but it is not recommended to take it regularly for longer than 10 days.
Stretches of the underside of the foot, calf, and hamstrings. Do this gently a few times a day.
If not experience too much pain under pressure, roll a tin of beans under your foot to help lengthen the tissue fibers of the plantar fascia.
People often use exercise to manage mental health, if activities involving running or standing are not possible, try something low-impact such as swimming.
This is generalised advice. Please consult a health professional before undertaking any advice and do not continue if symptoms worsen.
For more information about what treatments are available at my acupuncture and massage clinic in York, please visit https://www.benelliot.co.uk/othertreatments
The NHS website also has some additional tips on how to manage plantar fasciitis at home: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/plantar-fasciitis/