Up to 10% of people will experience plantar fasciitis (PF) in their lifetimes. Acupuncture works very well as a treatment to reduce pain and speed up the healing process when it comes to PF.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
PF is a condition characterized by sharp stabbing heel pain that is often worse in the morning as you step out of bed. With movement and increased circulation, the pain can typically subside for large portions of the day, but will return with vengeance the next morning. It can also flare up during the day with increased walking and activity especially after periods of rest, relaxation or sitting. Fortunately many cases of PF will resolve with conservative treatment of rest, stretching, anti-inflammatory medications – however this condition can be tenacious and prevent everyday activities from being possible or enjoyable.
Who Does PF Effect?
Plantar fasciitis is more common in:
- Runners
- Overweight people
- Those whose jobs require them to be on their feet all day
How Can Acupuncture Help with PF?
Acupuncture for plantar fasciitis is an excellent choice of treatment, and now there is research based evidence to support this claim.
Acupuncture improves plantar heel pain in several ways. The insertion of needles in the heel results in a local effect on nerve endings that stimulates a release of neuropeptides that help eliminate pain. Other local area cells called fibroblasts are stimulated by needling to promote tissue healing in the area.
Fibroblasts are biological cells that lay the framework for tissue healing and collagen production. Acupuncture also stimulates adenosine to be released which has potent pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects as well as the added benefit of increasing blood flow to the area.
The best thing about acupuncture is that it is free of any adverse side effects!
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