Plantar fasciitis is pain in foot which is caused by straining the ligament that supports arch. Repeated strain can cause tiny tears in the ligament. These can lead to pain and swelling. Most people start to feel sore and stiff in the plantar. Massage / acupressure /Physical therapy can heal the soreness. Then if not enough attention paid, people further feel pain at the back of the heel and near the front toes where the connection is. When situation become worse, bone spur can be developed around the connection areas which makes treatment very difficult. Plantar fasciitis is common in middle-aged men. It also occurs in people who are on their feet a lot, like athletes or soldiers. It can happen in one foot or both feet.
According to the NIH (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007021.htm), that it is more likely to happen if:
1) feet roll inward too much when you walk
2) have high arches or flat feet.
3) walk, stand, or run for long periods of time, especially on hard surfaces.
4) are overweight.
5) wear shoes that don’t fit well or are worn out.
6) have tight Achilles tendons or calf muscles.
Conventional treatment methods are:
1) Custom-made shoe inserts (orthopedics)
2) Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
Even though acupuncture is less invasive compared with conventional methods, the needles can be sensitive to skin as the area covered by much extensive nerve. So needling method, location, directions is important for achieving a faster and effective recovery. Comparing with Steroid shot, it is much minimal pain. Also other acupoints can alleviate the over tenderness and make the session just as a nap on the beach.
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