Are your first steps out of bed in the morning causing you severe pain in your heel? Or does your heel hurt after jogging or playing tennis? Most commonly, heel pain is caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is a tendon that starts at your heel and goes along the bottom of your foot. This is a very common issue that can be treated with chiropractic and acupuncture.

Many patients with plantar fasciitis will see multiple doctors, and may or may not have had surgery or steroid injections into the area with little to no resolve. What I will observe in the clients with this condition is how they are walking. They will be walking with a rigid foot, as if the foot were in a boot cast. This movement is 1) caused by the pain and 2) one of the reasons why the pain is continuing to be resistant to treatment. It shows that the foot itself, primarily the heel, midfoot and great toe, has stopped functioning as a portion of the shock absorber in the foot. This particular lack of movement causes the plantar fascia to become a rigid, inflamed rope that causes the pain. This restriction of movement in these joints would be adjusted to restore motion so the foot can act as a shock absorber and decreases the tension on the fascia. Also noted usually is some issue in the liver, spleen and kidney meridians from an acupuncture evaluation.

The liver meridian is the main controller of the muscles and tendons of the body. Any issue with the liver meridian will change how the spleen and kidney meridian control lymphatic flow and edema, respectively. The spleen and kidney meridians originate in the foot and travel along the great toe and arch of the foot up the inside of the lower leg, and on the bottom of the foot to the arch around the ankle and up the lower leg, respectively. An issue with swelling, pain, and lymphatic flow all deal with this condition and would be treated with acupuncture or cold laser to affect these meridians to resolve the condition. I have observed that acute and chronic plantar fasciitis conditions can be successfully treated with chiropractic and acupuncture. Most recover fairly quickly within about 3-4 weeks of treatment.

If you or someone you know has a painful foot, refer them to us so we can possibly help get them better.

Jerry Lee Bailey II, BAA, DC, CAc, FIAMA, MS in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, Chiropractic Physician, Acupuncturist and Functional Nutrition. Visit him at Lakeside Holistic Health, PLLC at 518 N. Fourth St. in Coeur d'Alene (208) 758-0568, or 21651 E. Country Vista Drive, Ste F., in Liberty Lake (509) 385-0218.