Pain Management

Acupuncture for Plantar Fasciitis: How It Works and Its Efficacy

Plantar fasciitis! Does it sound like a very fancy name that makes you think of this condition as a rare phenomenon? Well, if yes then you are reasonably mistaken. Plantar fasciitis is a condition which causes immense pain in your heel and is so common that around one person in 10 is affected by it, and approximately two million people have been reported taking treatments for the same.

These numbers are scary but the treatment that we are about to tell you are not. Treat your heal pain through one of the most primitive procedures of all times, acupuncture for plantar fasciitis.

Many people scare their way away due to the needles inserted in this therapy but here’s a read that will help you break all the shackles of your mind. Read ahead as we tell you how it treats the condition, what should you expect when you go for a session and much more, so scroll down.

Acupuncture for Plantar Fasciitis

Can Acupuncture Help Plantar Fasciitis?

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There is no doubt that the efficacy of using acupuncture for fasciitis shows high-quality results and helps in practically treating the condition. People who suffer from plantar fasciitis, face an intense pain of inflammation in their muscles in their heel region. Research shows that after the effects of exercising makes the pain worse and it activates due to standing for an extended period or standing after sitting for long.

Researchers say that herbal medicines along with acupuncture treatment sessions for plantar fasciitis can show significant results. Apart from acupuncture, a traditional Chinese foot bath is also a useful measure.

Results of some analysis show that the treatment with only foot bath was only 69.8% effective and the cases with acupuncture(1) plus herbal foot bath were 91.8% effective. The process of the treatment decreases the swelling of the area and reduces the inflammation of the tissue.

[Also Read: Effective Remedies to Cure Plantar Fasciitis]

How Does Acupuncture Work to Treat Plantar Fasciitis?

If the condition is untreated, it might get worse and can show cardiovascular complications, toxicity in kidney, improper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and even death due to the consumption of paracetamol. The procedure of acupuncture follows up to several weeks and in most of the cases shows effectivity and becomes the most clinically acceptable process to treat fasciitis.

Insertion of needles on the useful pathways can regulate the energy flow, which will help in stimulating a subtle flow of energy across the aching area. The addition at the nerve endings tends to activate the secretion of neuropeptides, that are responsible for reducing the pain. Also, acupuncture stimulates the release of adenosine, that can remove inflammation from the region.

Other secretions due to acupuncture include the release of fibroblasts. These are the cells that play a crucial role in promoting the healing procedure of the heel area. Apart from lower body effects, the brain activity gets a decline during the session; that’s why the impact of pain receptors decreases.

Acupuncture Points for Plantar Fasciitis:-

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Here are the different acupuncture points for plantar fasciitis(2) through acupuncture which will enhance the chances of getting positive outcomes

1. Acupressure point at foot

You can find this point on the sole of your foot, where the midpoint lies in the middle of lateral and medial malleoli. It is the acupoint that shares furthermore approach to cure other problems like – hysteria, insomnia, low blood pressure, and neurasthenia. The sedative effects are remarkable and compelling. The location of this acupoint is also suitable for the treatment for plantar fasciitis. Pressing this point can show good results and vanishes the problems.

[Read: Treat Wrist Pain with Acupuncture]

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2. Rangu (KD2)

Rangu has its location at the middle point of the feet and is responsible for its benefits of acupuncture for plantar fasciitis. It is present between the distal and inferior part of the malleolus, where there lies a depression in the navicular tuberosity. The translation of Rangu is burning fire, and it is a point present at the kidney channel.

Applying pressure on this acupoint tends to benefit from the deficiency heat and helps in regulating the lower burner or Jiao. The point is also useful for the separate treatment of throat obstruction and xerostomia.

3. The Vent Gas Orifice

The Vent Gas Orifice point is present at the position of 0.5 cun to the nearest end to that of Rangu or KD2. For this point, insertion of the needle takes place in the body. These acupoints would reach the depth of the cause, and the practitioner inserts the needle for up to 0.5 to 1.0 cun.

This point can be equivalent to any other conventional medicine. It tends to be beneficial for other cases such as, it is a disagreement with the gastrointestinal tract including gas, which on the further days can treat to prevent the cancer of the esophagus.

[Read: Essential Oils for Plantar Fasciitis ]

4. AhShi pointed

AhShi points include Zhongshan, Shayinjiao, Rangu, Taixi, and Yongquan on the body. Rapid insertion of needles takes place in perpendicularly downward directions. It is the acupoint’s mild reinforcement and reduction in manipulation methods. When the patient suffers from the deqi technique.

The next step which accompanies the acupuncture is moxibustion. Receiving 10 minutes of pressure on the AhShi points can stimulate once the course of therapeutics at regular interval of timings. The completion of two significant therapies like acupuncture and moxibustion are useful for the treatments along with significant positive outcomes.

5. Pattern points

A consistent practice of acupuncture is an essential requirement to which nothing else matters. The pattern what we saw today is the patterns that the designers create with the help of the patient’s diagnostic reports. These are the points that follow subtle pathways and help in curing everyone and removing any distractions because of the increasing number of crimes and their rates.

The presence of these points is not the same as any other individual. For example – a simple case of this sentence can help read the pain. Most of the acupoints lie across the upper part of the body.

[Read: Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis]

What to Expect?

What happens when you go for acupuncture treatment for curing plantar fasciitis? Probability of positive outcomes? The mechanism with which acupuncture treats plantar fasciitis is quite conservative. It approximately takes a year to cure the problem of fasciitis.

  • Initially, it’s advice for the patient is to start up with the initial treatment such as stretching, application of ice, etc.
  • Acupuncture serves the patient by reducing the pain from the region and provides relaxation to the site. There are a variety of ways that can give calmness to the aching part and improves the functioning of the heel tissues.
  • After the course of acupuncture treatment, generally, people walk back on their feet without any pain. For extreme cases, if acupuncture does not show any improvements, one should follow MRI scans and ultrasound to reach the reason behind the severity.
  • Acupuncture has the least amount of side effects than any other approach to treat plantar fasciitis.

Pieces of evidence show that the procedure of acupuncture has become a great help for the ones suffering from Plantar Fasciitis. It generally takes up the time to reach the goal, but sometimes it is a messier process of and takes a lot more time. Acupuncture for plantar fasciitis is one of the most acceptable procedures to treat this condition.