Traditional Chinese Medicine for Foot Pain

Almost everyone will suffer from foot pain at some point in their lives. There are a wide variety of causes, including arthritis, plantar fasciitis, trauma or strain. No matter the cause, the typical treatment for foot pain is over-the-counter pain relievers that do little to get to the root of the problem.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been effectively treating foot pain naturally for centuries with herbal and acupuncture modalities. Below we walk through the basics of acupuncture and herbal supplements, and how these two TCM modalities can treat foot pain.

Acupuncture for Foot Pain

Acupuncture is a form of TCM that has been practiced for thousands of years. Acupuncture is based on maintaining a healthy flow of vital energy—known as qi—through the meridians of the body. With feet pain, your feet either need extra energy to heal the area or the flow of qi is blocked by an obstruction in the meridians. This causes too much qi in some areas and not enough qi in other areas, causing the body to be out of balance.

Acupuncture can be very effective in directing energy to your feet to accelerate recovery. Acupuncture also directs energy to specific organs in your body, including your liver, which is in charge of your tendons, fascia, and ligaments. For more information on acupuncture for foot pain, click here.

Herbal Supplements for Foot Pain

The herbal supplements that will help with foot pain depend on the cause and whether it is external or internal. If external and caused by trauma or strain, herbal supplements should focus on inflammation and healing the area. Herbal supplements that reduce inflammation include turmeric, ginger, green tea and ginseng.

If internal, the herbal supplements should focus on something your body is lacking, an organ that needs support, or even inhibiting the production of pain-inducing chemicals in nerves. It is important you know the cause so you know what your body needs and what herbs will provide relief. For example, an herbal supplement that many use for plantar fasciitis is magnesium, and an herbal supplement that many use for gout is bromelain.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner in Centennial, CO

If you or a loved one are interested in learning more about TCM, the professionals at Arapahoe Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center are here to help. We provide both acupuncture and herbal supplements for foot pain as well as massage and chiropractic care. Call us or contact us online today!