Plantar fasciitis causes pain under the heel or along the sole of the foot, typically sharpest with the first steps in the morning or after sitting. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the same heel pain can come from different imbalances, such as stuck circulation from strain, cold and damp in the feet, damp heat, or underlying Kidney weakness. Identifying your pattern helps us treat the cause as well as the pain.
Most people with plantar fasciitis fit mainly into one of these patterns. Which one sounds most like you?
Plantar Fasciitis: Sharp, stabbing pain under the heel, worst with the first steps in the morning and after standing up from sitting.
Plantar Fasciitis: Dull, heavy ache under the heel, worse in cold or damp weather and eased by warmth.
Plantar Fasciitis: Burning or hot pain under the heel, sometimes with swelling, worse with heat and standing.
Plantar Fasciitis: Dull, deep ache in the heels, worse after long periods of standing or walking and when tired.
Not sure which one fits? That’s normal – many people have a mix. At your first consultation we look at your tongue, take your pulse and ask detailed questions to confirm your pattern.
Your treatment plan follows your pattern – the same condition can need quite different treatment.
Acupuncture and electro-acupuncture around the heel and calf to move Qi and Blood and release tight tissues, sometimes with cupping on the calves. Many patients find the morning pain eases noticeably within a few sessions.
Acupuncture with moxibustion and electro-acupuncture to warm the feet and dispel cold and damp. Many patients notice warmer feet and less stiffness over the first few weeks.
Acupuncture and electro-acupuncture to clear damp heat and reduce inflammation, often with herbs; moxa is avoided because the pattern is hot. Many patients notice the burning sensation calm down within the first few weeks.
Tonifying acupuncture to strengthen the Kidneys, which in TCM govern the heels and bones, with moxibustion where there is cold and a supporting herbal prescription. Improvement is usually gradual, with standing and walking becoming more comfortable over several weeks.
For plantar fasciitis, many patients notice easier first steps in the morning within the first 2–3 weeks, with more stable improvement around 2 months.
Most patients start to notice a change within the first two to three weeks of regular treatment.
Improvements become more consistent. If treatment stops as soon as you feel better, the body hasn’t settled yet and symptoms can slip back to where they started.
Continuing a little longer after you improve lets the new balance hold. Stopping at this point, symptoms are much less likely to return.
We space sessions out and finish. You won’t need to rely on treatment forever.
Every case is different: some conditions are stable within 1–2 months, longer-standing ones can take up to around 6 months. We’ll give you a realistic estimate at your first consultation.
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The staff specially Yao meng did an excellent job. In addition she is very kind and explain to the patients what to expect. Thank you very much.
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