Plantar fasciitis can be an extremely painful condition – “inflammation of the plantar fascia or arch tendon of the foot. It is an overuse injury causing heel pain which may radiate forward into the foot. Plantar fasciitis can also be known as a heel spur although they are not strictly the same”. 

The Plantar Fascia, or arch tendon, is a broad, thick band of tissue that runs from under the heel to the front of the foot. A rupture can sometimes occur at the origin of the arch ligament and result in inflammation and pain.

Conventional Medical Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis

Using the NHS Choices website as a guide to the conventional medical treatment of Plantar Fasciitis,  there are a number of treatments that can help relieve heel pain and speed up your recovery. These include:

  • resting your heel – avoiding walking long distances and standing for long periods

  • regular stretching – stretching your calf muscles and plantar fascia

  • pain relief – using an icepack on the affected heel and taking painkillers, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

  • wearing well fitted shoes that support and cushion your feet –running shoes are particularly useful

  • using supportive devices – such as orthoses (rigid supports that are put inside the shoe) or strapping’.

For some of us, the heel pain resolves within a year, while for others “the above treatments aren’t enough and surgery may be needed to release the plantar fascia.”

“Around four out of five cases of heel pain resolve within a year. However, having heel pain for this length of time can often be frustrating and painful.”

Homeopathy does not treat illness or diseases. Instead it treats an individual who has been diagnosed with a particular illness or disease.

As far as Plantar Fasciitis is concerned, homeopathy has highlighted a number of remedies that have been found to be useful in its treatment. 

Cramps in the feet. Pains in the instep, in the ankle bones, in the soles of the feet, and in the toes, on walking. Neuralgic pains in the soles of the feet. Contraction in the instep, with tensive pain when stepping. Coldness of the feet. Swelling of the feet. Pains in the varices. Tingling in the soles of the feet. Festering vesicles and ulcerations on the heels.

Congestion in the legs and in the feet, when standing upright. Swelling of the legs and of the feet, with hardness and shooting pain. Stiffness of the instep. Shooting pain, like that of an ulcer, in the heel and in the soles of the feet, on rising from the sitting posture. Cold feet, even in the evening in bed. Feet burning. Fetid sweat on the feet. Contraction of the toes. Swelling and distortion of the toes.

Burning in feet, wants them uncovered and fanned. Cold feet with chills all over. Oedema of feet followed and better by diarrhea. Soreness in ball of foot under toes. Cold, sweating feet. For the constitutional effects of mal-treated and suppressed Gonorrhoea.

Painful sensation of numbness in soles of feet and in balls of the toes. Red-hot swelling of feet, extending up to calf, with stinging pain. Swelling of top of foot. Oedematous swelling of feet, worse in evening. Piercing shootings and incisive pains in heels (towards evening). Shootings in soles of feet and extremities of toes. The complaints are worse when one allows the feet to hang down.

Shootings in feet. Coldness in feet, especially in evening, in bed, or burning sensation, chiefly in soles of feet. Burning in feet, wants to find a cool place for them, puts them out of bed to cool them off. Burning in soles, on stepping after sitting a long time, and itching, especially on walking, wants them uncovered. Cramp in soles at every step. Soles cold and sweating. Sweat on right foot. Swelling of feet, and especially of the ankles. Gnawing vesicles on soles. Ulcer on instep. Standing is the worst position for sulphur patients; they cannot stand; every standing position is uncomfortable.

Stiffness of joint of the foot after being seated for some time. Wrenching pain in joints of feet and toes. Burning sensation in feet. Inflammatory swelling of feet. Weakness and trembling of feet. Feet sweaty and sore about toes, fetid suppressed foot-sweat with much nervous excitement. Coldness of the feet at night. Nervous, fidgety movement of the feet, after retiring and during sleep. Tearing in margin of right foot. Ulcerative, boring pains in heels, worse when walking than when sitting. Profuse sweat on the feet.