New studies suggest acupuncture in San Diego as being a safe and effective treatment for heel pain. This type of pain is a typical foot ailment marked by extreme pain, particularly when weight is placed onto the foot. Pain on the heel’s underside usually suggests plantar fasciitis while pain on the heel’s back oftentimes means Achilles tendinitis. The Ashi and Kidney channel acupoints are often used to treat heel pain.
Plantar fasciitis which is one of the most popular reasons for heel pain involves inflammation and pain on the tissue band stretching through the foot’s bottom. The new studies show that acupuncture works for various types of heel pain including Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis.
Allopathic modalities for the treatment of heel include surgery, shockwave therapy, block therapy, small needle knife treatment, corticosteroid injections, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), and behavioral therapy. TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine has historical documents that have recorded the successes of heel pain treatment using acupuncture. These new scientific studies validate those historical data.
Scientists from the Guangzhou Social Welfare House and Guangzhou Dongsheng Hospital studied 19 clinical researches and found that out of the 20 studies, 17 used extensively the ahshi acupoints to attain the possible results. In an investigation conducted by Hsu Hsuemeng et al., a total 67 patients were divided at random into a control group and acupuncture group. The control group were treated with local blocking therapy and shots of triamcinolone acetonide acetate while the acupuncture group was treated with filiform acupuncture needle therapy. The outcomes were evaluated six months after the treatment. The drug treatment group had a 76% rate of effectiveness while the acupuncture group attained a 97% rate of effectiveness.
Others researches likewise suggest moxibustion along with needling led to a positive effect on patient results. An investigation led by Hse Yucai et al., showed that the use of acupoints ashi, Bl57 (Chengshan), Sp6 (Sanyinjiao), Kl3 (Taihsi), Kl2 (Rangu), and Kl1 (Yongchuan) on the affected side led to the treatment of all 75 cases of heel pain. Needles were quickly perpendicularly stuck during the treatment. Mild reinforcing-reducing manipulation methods and a thrusting method were applied on the needles. After a de qi sensation was elicited, the needles were immediately removed.
Ten minutes of moxibustion were administered on the ashi acupoints on the heel after needling. Moxibustion and acupuncture treatment were given once a day for a term of six days, comprising one course. Another course began a couple of days post completion of the first. The acupuncture group proved significantly much better than the control group that was given ibuprofen and an herbal formula known as Strengthening Bone and Joint Pills or Shuanggu Guanjie, after two courses of treatment. The researchers concluded that compared to conventional allopathic treatment, acupuncture is a more effective, easier to apply, and safer heel pain treatment. They based their conclusion on the 19 reviewed studies that were conducted during the last five years.