Acupuncture for Heel Pain & Dry Needling

According to new research, acupuncture is highly effective in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. This is a painful inflammatory condition of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is characterized by pain on the underside of your foot and heel. The most agonizing shot of pain is often experienced while first stepping out of the bed onto the floor in the morning. Pain upon dorsiflexion (lifting the foot towards the shin) is another telltale sign of plantar fasciitis.

A controlled clinical investigation showed that an acupuncture group displayed significant foot pain reduction. The control group on the other hand showed only minimal changes.

Treatment For The Control Group

• Five weeks of analgesic medications
• Stretching exercises
• Shoe modifications

Treatment For The Acupuncture Group

• Same therapies
• Electro-acupuncture treatments

Conclusion

In case of chronic planar fasciitis, acupuncture in combination with conventional treatments had a success rate of 80% which is higher than what was seen in the control group.

According to another recent study acupuncture proved very effective for the treatment of plantar heel pain. Researchers noted significant improvements through acupuncture in both pain relief and functional restoration. This was better than a standard regime of care which prescribed anti-inflammatory medications (non-steroidal).

Dry Needling is also known as Trigger Point Dry Needling. This is relatively a new treatment for chronic plantar fasciitis which is minimally invasive and it can be performed within fifteen to twenty minutes. Expert researchers of the University of Genoa, Italy developed Dry Needling.

A preliminary study that included 44 patients showed a high success rate when it came to resolving their symptoms. The dry needling procedure is actually not very painful for the patient. The medical expert would stick acupuncture needles directly into the affected/sore area where the trigger points of the muscles are found. This is to relax the nerve/muscle and also to stimulate blood flow. It initiates healing of the area without “peripheral” application of acupuncture needles.

Trigger point therapy is a common practice and this is just that. A massage therapist on the other hand applies external, manual pressure. This is something that can also be done on your own at home. Dry needling applies the same principle but with a twist. The needles are stuck directly into your trigger points hence the name Trigger point!

As compared to traditional acupuncture where the needles are inserted all over your body, this is done only on the trigger points for about 30 seconds. In the former treatment you lie there on the bed with your eyes closed for 5 to 10 minutes but with dry needling you are out in 30 seconds.