Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of tissue that surrounds the heel and arch of the foot. If left untreated, the stress causes a bone spur to develop at the point of attachment on the heel. Pain is often apparent first thing in the morning and is associated with athletes that carry out repetitive movements, for instance running, and people who may spend a large portion of their day on their feet, also obesity has a similar effect.
Symptoms
Symptoms will include severe pain when walking on the affected heel that is most noticeable in the morning and after periods of inactivity. Fasciitis is irritated by poorly fitting shoes, hard-soled shoes and running or walking on hard surfaces. Climbing stairs, balancing on tip toes or standing for long periods can increase the pain.
Causes
Plantar fasciitis is usually caused by stress on the heel bone. They can also be caused by obesity, high arches, flat feet, physical injury, muscle inflammation, lupus, gout, nerve damage, excessive exercise, arch strain, and prolonged standing or walking.
Cautions
In extreme cases, the irritation from a developed bone spur may cause very small tumors to develop on the nerve endings, which causes severe pain.
Herbal Treatments
Internal Applications
- Turmeric – this herb helps reduce the pain and inflammation associated with plantar fasciitis.
- Horsetail – this herb is a good choice for inflammation. The joints of the herb are what are most useful for inflammation.
- Feverfew – this herb helps reduce inflammation and the associated pain by reducing prostaglandin levels.
- Willow – this herb is a natural pain reliever. Take 2 cups of tea or 1 to 2 droppers of tincture to ease the pain.
- Ginger – this herb helps reduce pain without any side effects. It also increases the circulation to the affected area to help heal the inflammation.
- Bromelain – this extract is from pineapple. It helps reduce inflammation and swelling. It can also help pain, tingling and aching. Take the supplement for the best results.
- Green tea – this herb helps reduce inflammation through the antioxidant action it is known best for. Drink the tea frequently through the day as needed to ease pain and inflammation associated with plantar fasciitis.
- Calendula – this herb helps treat inflammation. Take 1 cup of infusion or a dropper full of tincture 2 or 3 times per day.
- Meadowsweet – this anti-inflammatory herb is also an analgesic. Take 3 to 5 droppers of tincture or 1 cup of infusion several times a day to relieve pain and inflammation.
External Applications
- Arnica – massage the foot with arnica cream or oil, concentrating on the affected area. Arnica helps relieve bruising, pain and muscle aches. Massaging arnica into a foot suffering from a bone spur will help relieve the pain and stretch the plantar fascia, relieving the stress on this ligament.
- Chamomile – bathe the foot in chamomile infusion for relief from the pain of a bone spur.
- Tea tree – mix a few drops of tea tree oil into a massage oil like jojoba or sweet almond oil. Use this mixture to massage the foot. While massaging, point the toes back towards the ceiling to stretch the calf muscles. This stretch, combined with the massage, will help relieve the stress on the plantar fascia and help relieve the pain.