Six months of enduring foot pain, shoe inserts, night boots, expensive custom-fitted shoes, oral medications, daily exercises, steroid injections (3), cryo-therapy and surgery did little for the desperate and frustrated woman on the other end of my phone. I agreed to see this likeable woman, all the while uncertain as to what my approach to plantar fasciitis could accomplish so late in the game. I was immediately impressed by this woman’s persistence, positive attitude and compliance with the “homework” she had been assigned to treat her stubborn case. After reviewing what she had been faithfully doing on her own, I set out to see what my hands would discover. The session started with 45 minutes of detailed foot reflexology that she reported, with surprise, relaxed her very much. I then had her shift onto her side (later, her stomach and finally her back) and began the methodical and easy procedures to identify and release constriction within the fascia enervated by the S1 nerve root. Thirty minutes later, the work was completed bi-laterally. All that remained to be seen was the results. When we talked the next afternoon, she sheepishly said that she felt almost scared to say out loud how she felt. When I pressed her to say more, she added, “I feel great. I have virtually no pain in my foot, and I’m afraid that I might jinx it if I say so.” She added that she felt one slight “twinge” in her foot during the night, but hardly worth reporting. We agreed to meet two more times within the week. Plantar Fasciitis Plantar fasciitis develops from overuse and stress on the fascia on the sole of the feet. This results in tissue fatigue and degeneration of collagen leading to micro-tearing in the fascial band and its attachment at the heel. Since the pain expresses in the feet, people often fail to see that the source – or a contributing source – of the condition can actually be further up the chain. In the case of this client, we discovered a major contributing factor – and the reason why earlier interventions performed only on her feet failed – was significant contraction in specific hip muscles that were impeding proper nerve conduction to her feet. A combination of footwork and a systematic procedure to release S1 nerve entrapment within those muscles broke her cycle of pain. All that was left for her to do to prevent a reoccurrence of the condition was to keep the fascia in her lower extremities fluid and strong. Results During our second session, I offered a couple of new stretches and strengthening exercises, specific to her body’s needs. She returned for her third and final session elated. She told me that she has slept through the last few nights without waking up from foot pain – a first since this had all started. After so many other approaches had failed, she admitted having been a little skeptical of what bodywork could do, but agreed to go along with her trusted massage therapist’s recommendation to see me. I regret that she hadn’t sought out this specific treatment before. Plantar fasciitis is a condition that brings many people to see reflexologists and massage therapists. It is a very painful condition that afflicts thousands of people in America and is the most common cause of heel pain for which professional care is sought. Reflexologists and massage therapists can learn how to help people with this debilitating condition in one short weekend – past attendees of the Plantar Fasciitis: Protocol and Prevention workshop have gone on to build entire practices serving this population. I will be teaching this 18-hour workshop at FSM on May 11th and 12th. A full description of the training and registration instructions can be found here. Call or email if you have questions: Karen Ball – 904/553.4067 – karen@academyofancientreflexology.com Hope to see you!
