Researchers in Greece have shown that acupuncture can make a significant contribution to the treatment of heel pain in patients with plantar fasciitis. Thirty-eight male patients were randomly allocated among two groups: the first received ice, anti-inflammatory drugs, and a stretching and strengthening programme; the second received all of the foregoing, plus acupuncture. After two months, pain levels, mobility and function were all significantly better in the acupuncture group compared to the first group. The authors conclude that acupuncture should be considered a major therapeutic instrument, used alongside standard care, in the treatment of plantar fasciitis.
(Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis in Recreational Athletes: Two Different Therapeutic Protocols. Foot & Ankle Specialist, 25 August 2011.)