Are you interested in natural treatment of plantar fasciitis? You can find references to and recommendations for a number of natural treatments if you search the internet. Whether any of these will work for your situation is the key question.
This post will focus on two types of alternative treatment for plantar fasciitis – Epsom salt foot soaks and anti-inflammatory herbs.
Foot Heel Pain Causes
As noted in this site’s Sore Heel Pain Treatment post, there seems to be two lines of thinking as to the causes of and treatments for plantar fasciitis.
The common line of thinking, still mentioned by authoritative sites such as Mayo Clinic, goes along with the belief that plantar fasciitis pain is due to inflammation caused by micro-tears in the fascia.
A second line of thinking, described in What is Plantar Fasciosis?, indicates that the pain is a result of micro-tears and deteriorating cells caused by limited blood flow. This belief flows out of a 2003 study of fascia tissue taken from 50 pf patients, none of which showed any problem with inflammation.
What you will find is that the majority of websites discussing plantar fasciitis still align with the older, more traditional thought about inflammation. This is most likely due to the fact that the majority of medical sites still repeat that belief.
Epsom Salt Soaks
If you study both medical, authoritative sites, and personal sites (similar to this one), you will find that a number of websites mention Epsom salts and hot water as a home treatment for plantar fasciitis. They indicate that hot water and Epsom salts will draw inflammation out of the sore muscles. For this to be true, one has to assume that inflammation exists and is causing the pain.
For example, the MotherNature site agrees with this assumption. They recommend a 20-minute Epsom salt soak with one tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Simply dissolve the salts in warm water and let your feet soak to relieve the pressure due to the inflammation as the swollen tissues drain.
Epsom salts have numerous uses and benefits that can help soothe the mind and soul, in addition to the body, by the way. You can read more about Epsom salts on the SaltWorks website.
One caution: if you are diabetic, recognize that soaking in salts may dry out your feet, so be sure to rub cream on your feet after you are done soaking.
Ginger
According to HerbWisdom.com, ginger can help reduce the symptoms of numerous body issues. Ginger has circulation-increasing characteristics and is commonly recommended as an anti-inflammatory for arthritis and joint problems as well as foot issues.
Ginger has long been used in Chinese society as a medicinal herb. It is a well-used plantar fasciitis treatment.
Due to its many positive capabilities, the MotherNature site recommends making a habit of using ginger. They suggest you buy it fresh at the supermarket and mince between a half-teaspoon to a full teaspoon per day. Once it has been minced, mix it into your food or stir it into water and drink it.
Note that there are a number of warnings related to use of ginger. If you have acute inflammatory conditions, if you are taking warfarin, or if you have heart problems, high blood pressure, or gall stones, be sure to consult your physician before embarking on a ginger treatment.
Apple Cider Vinegar
At the EarthClinic website you can read, in the responses, about several natural herbal remedies that community members have used.
A commonly noted herbal treatment was apple cider vinegar. Several community members claimed their plantar fasciitis pain was eliminated in just a few days simply by drinking a mixture of two capfuls of organic apple cider vinegar in eight ounces of water. The key, they noted, was to make sure the cider was organic.
One community member wrote that they followed this advice and the pain was gone in two days after suffering with the pain for a full year.
Quite often members commented that they also added baking soda in with the apple cider vinegar in the water. Some added honey or molasses to soothe the bitter taste. A suggested mixture was two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, one teaspoon of baking soda, and one of honey per six ounces of water.
I must add that a few community members commented that the apple cider vinegar treatment did not work for them at all.
Other Herbs
Cloves, turmeric, and garlic apparently can have similar effects on the body as garlic does, however, all of these are less studied. There is little documented testing to show whether or not these will have any effect.
So, remember this – no one treatment works for everyone!
If you intend to try any of these home treatments, recognize that they may or may not work for you.
What Do You Think?
Have you tried any of these natural-type treatments? Did they work? If not, what do you think about these ideas?
Please leave a comment or two and share your thoughts.
hi, very useful article.. i love ginger, is so powerful.
Ginger is an interesting herb, Milos. It certainly has proven, through research, to have special qualities, yet it is never mentioned on any of the normal doctor or medical sites.
How have you used it?
Great tips. I want to try to apple cider vinegar method 🙂
I have started trying to drink the apple cider vinegar concoction with honey and baking soda in water. Not exactly tasty but I have several difficulties that might benefit from it, let alone my feet. Come back in a week or two and let us know if it helps you.
I have been having some pain in my ankles from doing that Insanity workout. I worked through it and am no longer feeling any pain but I am sure it will be back. I will have to try to use the epsom salts next time to draw out the pain.
Insanity workout – ouch! Sounds too tough for my getting-older body. I am not a doctor, so I can’t say this for sure, but from what I’ve researched it appears that when we injure ourselves (the pain), our body “fixes” it with scar tissue. It sounds like the epsom salt soaks will help reduce and remove toxins and inflammation. Adding some daily massage might also be helpful. Try searching for “ankle massage” and see what you find.
I think that there is a lot of foot pain around, based on what I am reading here and there on various shoe sites. But I think people are calling most pain in their feet plantar fasciitis when it has never been diagnosed. I did the same thing. But I have a situation on my right foot that when researched, carries a different diagnosis, and there is a test for this. I wish I could think of the name of it, but it is easily researched. The test is to stand on your sore foot and raise the other off the floor. Hold onto the wall for balance. Now try to stand on your toes on the sore foot. If you have this “other” diagnosis, you will not be able to do it. Now do it on your other foot the same way. No problem, right? This “other” diagnosis is apparently not good, as recovery is very difficult for some reason. This is what I have. I discovered this AFTER I bought six pairs of shoes for plantar fasciitis. This pain can involve the ankle, the heel, under the heel, etc. I chase pain daily. And for awhile I could feel the nerves in my lower leg like an electric wire. I took off all my shoes and started wearing water shoes. Flat but barely soft soles, and cheap to buy everywhere. I at least got rid of the electrical impulses and a lot of the pain. So here I sit with my foot in a pan of hot water with epsom salt. I haven’t tried this yet, but after a year of suffering and limping, I will try anything. I have found that the natural world holds wonders to healing, so I am trusting this to help, if not completely fix the problem. At the very least, it feels good!
Hi Lynn. Thanks for sharing this. You are correct, there are a number of different types of foot and heel pain that truly are not plantar fasciitis, yet many people tend to label them as plantar fasciitis. For example, heel-related problems include such issues as Baxter’s nerve pain, tarsal tunnel nerve pain, heel bone cysts, and/or heel bursitis. I haven’t specifically heard of the test you mentioned but it’s raised my interest so I’ll do some research. Perhaps it would be good for me to write about these other types of issues, just to clarify them from true plantar fasciitis.
H Lynn
Thanks for sharing this information. Standing on the sore foot is sorting me out. I am very optimistic that this gonna sort me out .
I am soaking my feet as I type….My feet hurt so much I want to cry 🙁 I spent $75.00 on a pair of shoes (Vionix) I think they are called. No help. Recommended by my foot specialist. Been soaking in Epson salt & using lotion. There has got to be a better cure. Will try ACV and see if that helps
Susan, I am so sorry to hear that the shoes didn’t help at all! I’ve highlighted a number of different types of exercises and potential “helps” for sore feet but it sounds like you may have an exceptionally bad case. If it’s right on the bottom of your feet then perhaps you might try some of the rolling techniques (tennis ball or water bottle) or start with some of the toe exercises. Whatever you try, do it carefully at first and not too much to avoid causing greater pain. Obviously, another discussion with your foot specialist might be in order. Let me know if ACV makes any difference.
I had just ran 4 miles barefoot on the beach and the day after that, I could not walk. I researched the type of pain I had and it sounded exactly like plantar fasciitis. I have been wearing my asics running shoes for the past week, soaking my foot in Spain salt at least twice a day, and icing it and I have to say, I can finally actually walk now. The Epsom salt has really worked!!!! I have cross country camp in a couple days and I want to be able to run, so I’m going to try the finer and apple cider method and hope that it cures my foot asap! Thanks for the helpful tips!!!
Hey Kyndal, thanks so much for sharing this. It is great to hear from someone who used this remedy and can share that it worked for them. I would love to hear back from you after cross country camp to find out if the remedy has continued to work or if the additional running took its toll. I’m very happy to know that this helped you!
Important points in this article that we should be aware of about the natural treatments of plantar fasciitis. This would surely be a huge help. Thanks for sharing this one out.
You are very welcome. Many of us tend to overlook natural treatments because we react to “products” that supposedly “cure” issues. With plantar fasciitis, we know that no one solution fits all. Thanks for sharing.