Acupuncture for Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis can make those first steps out of bed in the morning, or after sitting for a while, sharply painful. Acupuncture and dry needling are used alongside stretching and good footwear to ease heel pain, and several trials have reported less pain after a course of treatment. Our practitioners have been treating pain in London for 25 years.

Book an initial consultation or call 0207 935 2030 for a free 15-minute chat.

What causes plantar fasciitis?

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs along the sole of your foot from your heel to your toes. When it is overloaded, it becomes painful and thickened where it joins the heel. It is common in runners, people who stand for long periods, people who are overweight, and those who have recently increased their activity or changed footwear. Pain is usually worst first thing in the morning and eases as you move.

Most cases improve within a year. See your GP if heel pain followed an injury, if your foot is numb or tingling, if pain is severe at rest or at night, or if it hasn’t improved after a few weeks of self-care. For other foot and ankle problems, read our sports injuries page.

How acupuncture can help

For plantar fasciitis, we use acupuncture and dry needling to help ease heel pain so you can keep up the calf and foot stretches, strengthening and footwear changes that help the fascia recover. Many patients come to us when pain is stopping them walking, running or standing at work.

Treatment may include needling points in the foot and calf and releasing tight trigger points in the calf muscles. We’ll also look at what’s overloading your foot and tell you honestly if we think insoles, physiotherapy or a specialist opinion would help.

Researchers think acupuncture works partly by changing how nerves and the brain process pain signals, including the release of the body’s own pain-relieving chemicals. The exact mechanisms are still being studied.

What the research shows

• Clark and Tighe, 2012 (Acupuncture in Medicine) — a systematic review of eight studies. Higher-quality trials reported significant benefits for heel pain, comparable to standard approaches such as stretching and night splints.
• Zhang et al., 2011 (Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine) — 53 people with plantar fasciitis. Acupuncture at a point chosen for heel pain reduced morning pain about twice as much as acupuncture at a general pain-relief point after one month.
• Cotchett et al., 2014 (Physical Therapy) — 84 people with heel pain. Weekly dry needling for six weeks reduced pain more than sham needling, though some people had brief soreness afterwards.

Research on acupuncture for plantar fasciitis is still developing. Results vary between people, and acupuncture is not a replacement for medical assessment.

What to expect

Your first appointment lasts an hour. We take a full history, check your foot and calf, look at any scans or reports you bring, and agree a plan with you. Treatment uses very fine, single-use needles in the foot, ankle and calf, left in for 15 to 20 minutes. Where suitable we may use dry needling, electro-acupuncture or a heat lamp.

Most people start with weekly sessions and we review progress together after four to six. Initial consultations start from £80; see clinics and fees for details.

Why The London Acupuncture Clinic

• 25 years treating patients in London
• Degree-qualified practitioners who work alongside GPs and consultants, with close links to physiotherapists and chiropractors
• Open seven days a week, with early-morning and evening appointments
• Receipts for insurance claims on request

What our patients say

” The London Acupuncture clinic has been great in explaining me how he would tackle the issue in my plantar fascia, taking a holistic approach to it. … I am seeing an improvement after only a few sessions.” — S.P., Google review