Summer is here – it’s time to make the most of your outdoor adventures, whether that’s hiking, running, playing beach volleyball, or simply enjoying a leisurely walk on the beach.
But what if nagging foot pain is slowing you down? If you’re struggling to walk, run, or stand because of aching feet, acupuncture for foot pain might be the solution you need to enjoy summer to the fullest.
A Closer Look at Foot Pain
Before we learn how acupuncture can help ease aching feet, it’s important to understand why we get foot pain in the first place.
Foot pain can develop for many different reasons, and there are many different types of foot pain – each with its own best treatment method. Let’s explore the most common reasons people experience pain.
Causes of Foot Pain
- Overuse: General wear and tear from excessive running or walking (especially on hard surfaces).
- Improper Footwear: Wearing shoes that lack proper arch support. Similarly, wearing high heels or tight, narrow shoes also causes pain.
- Obesity: Extra weight can put additional strain on the feet.
- Tight Calf Muscles: This increases tension on the heel and foot.
- Sudden Change in Activity: Rapidly upping the intensity or duration of physical activities may lead to wear and tear or injury.
- Inadequate Stretching: Failing to properly stretch before exercise or training properly can stress the muscles and tendons of the feet.
- Flat Feet: This condition puts extra stress on the feet and may lead to pain.
- Aging: Tendons and joints become less flexible with age and repeated stress.
- Bone Weakness: Conditions like osteoporosis increase your fracture risk.
- Genetics: Inherited structural foot defects can cause issues like bunions.
- Arthritis: Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis can cause joint pain in the feet.
- Diabetes: High blood sugar levels can damage nerves over time.
- Infections: Certain infections can cause nerve damage.
- Trauma: Injuries to the foot or ankle often lead to lasting pain.
- Buildup of Uric Acid: Leads to conditions like gout that affect the joints.
Types of Foot Pain Conditions
While some people may experience general pain or discomfort in their feet, other issues can be related to specific injuries or foot issues:
- Plantar Fasciitis
This condition involves inflammation of the tissue that connect the heel bone to the toes. It often feels like stabbing pain, especially in the morning. - Achilles Tendinitis
Achilles tendinitis causes pain and stiffness along the Achilles tendon (back of the ankle), and is often due to overuse. - Stress Fractures
Tiny cracks in the bones, usually caused by repetitive force or overuse, are common sources of foot pain in athletes. - Bunions
Bunions are bony bumps that form on the joint at the base of the big toe. These tend to get worse with poor-fitting, narrow shoes and can lead to pain and discomfort. - Neuropathy
Nerve damage from other conditions (like diabetic neuropathy) can cause burning, tingling, or numbness in the feet.
If any of these conditions sound familiar to you, don’t worry – foot pain doesn’t have to last forever. In fact, acupuncture and other natural remedies can help alleviate pain, heal the foot, encourage healthy mobility, and prevent future issues.
Acupuncture for Foot Pain: Step into Natural Relief
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years for a wide range of health issues. But today, it is best known for its effectiveness in treating various types of pain – including foot pain.
Unlike surgery, acupuncture offers a minimally invasive procedure with little to no downtime, making it a convenient option for those seeking pain relief. Additionally, acupuncture is a drug-free approach that gives us a natural alternative to pain medications (which often come with side effects and a risk of dependency).
But can acupuncture help with your foot pain? According to Dr. Ko, Oriental medicine is effective for all foot-related pain – and is a much better alternative to Western treatment. “The pain itself cannot be treated from Western medicine,” Dr. Ko explains. “Whether the pain is chronic or acute, there is no treatment other than painkillers. If that doesn’t work, get an injection. And if that doesn’t work, eventually have surgery to cut off the nerve. Even after surgery, many after-effects can be seen.”
By taking the Oriental medicine approach, however, you can get relief without sacrificing your body’s health. You may even notice that acupuncture treats the body as a whole – underlying issues that lead to foot pain or other symptoms often fade away with regular treatment. Most patients at 120 Acupuncture Clinic report improved mobility and decreased stiffness after their acupuncture treatments.
“The treatment period for Oriental medicine varies depending on the degree of pain, but most ‘pain’ can be treated with Oriental medicine. Simple pain or acute pain is treated very quickly. And the important thing is that Oriental medicine provides the most natural and fundamental treatment,” says Dr. Ko.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
So, acupuncture has some clear benefits. But how does it work?
If you’ve never had acupuncture, you may wonder how placing tiny needles in your body could help with pain. The truth is that acupuncture is a gentle and powerful therapy that helps stop unhelpful pain signals and encourages a faster healing process in tissues like muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones.
For foot pain, Dr. Ko targets points that influence the flow of energy (or Qi) and blood to the feet. This helps to reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and alleviate pain. Here’s how it works:
- Acupuncture releases endorphins.
Acupuncture triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, which help to reduce pain and promote a sense of well-being. - Acupuncture improves blood flow.
The needles stimulate blood flow to the affected area, enhancing oxygen and nutrient delivery to tissues, aiding in healing and reducing inflammation. - Acupuncture reduces inflammation.
Acupuncture has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers in the body, helping to calm irritated tissues and alleviate pain. - Acupuncture moderates pain signals.
Pain can be a good thing – it alerts us to a problem we need to address. But with chronic pain, pain signals get stuck “on” long after they’re helpful. Acupuncture influences the nervous system, modulating the transmission of pain signals to the brain and reducing your perception of pain.
Is it Time to Try Acupuncture for Foot Pain?
It’s normal to experience aching feet after a long day of standing or walking. But, if foot pain continues or starts to disrupt your daily life and activities, it’s time to get some help and well-deserved relief. Not to mention, ignoring foot pain can have serious consequences and lead to other mobility problems, gait and posture issues, and falls.
Acupuncture seeking help if:
- Pain lasts more than a week without improvement.
- The pain is severe or interferes with daily activities.
- There is swelling, redness, or warmth in the affected area.
- You have a history of foot injuries or conditions like diabetes that could complicate foot health.
It’s also a good idea to consider acupuncture for foot pain if you are also experiencing other symptoms or issues. “Although other types of pain can affect the feet and cause foot pain, foot pain is caused by using the feet too much for a long time or by injuring them. Most of the other types of pain are problems with the five organs and six organs and poor circulation of blood and energy, so most of them affect the feet, and the feet rarely affect other parts of the body. For example, in the case of diabetes, the toes start to rot due to diabetes. In this case, it is easy to find out if the pain is caused by the five organs or the feet,” explains Dr. Ko.
Get Back on Your Feet with 120 Acupuncture Clinic
Don’t let foot pain keep you from enjoying the activities you love. Acupuncture for foot pain is a natural, effective way to find relief and get back to your favorite sports and summer fun.
If you’re ready to take the next step toward pain-free living, consider giving acupuncture a try. Book your consultation with 120 Acupuncture Clinic in Studio City, Los Angeles or call us at 1-818-980-7979 to find out how Dr. Ko and his team can help you stay active this summer.