Plantar Fasciitis - Acupuncture an effective and less discomfort way

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)

3) Steroid shots or injections into the heel

4) Foot Surgery

Foot surgery usually takes months to heal the cut and it is not guarantee to feel no more pain. So does the Steroid shot. Steroid also can thin the collagen after long time use, which can make the pain even worse. Chinese medicine has herbal and acupuncture options. Acupuncture can take major role here. If the condition is minor, 3 to 8 visits is enough to achieve good result. Some of my patients can feel the change after the first session. However, if condition has been long developed, or with calcium deposits bone spur, it will take bit longer time to heal.

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.