Plantar Fasciitis and Trigger Point Therapy

One of my daughters plays soccer and has suffered for years with the pain of Plantar Fasciitis (there are a few causes but this condition is basically the tightening of the connective tissue that runs from the heel to the toes which pulls on one or the other end) but wasn't diagnosed until a couple of years ago because her foot pain was nearer the balls of her feet (thank you soccer cleats for that one). Anyway, she was finally diagnosed and we paid for all the podiatrist visits, two sets of orthotics (one for normal shoes, one for soccer), and night splints. She got really good at her routine of rolling a frozen water bottle under her feet before soccer and after soccer, as well as doing her morning foot stretches as prescribed. She still had miserable pain during games to the point of having to sit out for long periods during games. Then, one day she decided to take a break from soccer and her feet stopped hurting her but I knew that, eventually, she'd want to play again. Well, she is playing again and I'm happy to report that her Plantar Fasciitis episodes have been few this time. Want to know why? Read on.

Having learned about Dr. Janet Travell's Trigger Point Release therapy, I made it my business to find out what muscle(s) influence and work the Plantar Fascia. Having all that information, I've made my daughter a test subject, so to say, regarding the effectiveness of Trigger Point therapy for those suffering from Plantar Fasciitis in one or both feet. My daughter and I are extremely happy with the results and have found that even if she gets an episode during a game, she knows how to stop it and get back on the field as soon as possible. This is yet another situation that I think might benefit from a study and it might be a wonderful alternative to surgery or all the money spent on podiatry products. I'm not saying that *poof* Trigger Point Release therapy is the miracle cure nor that my opinion is a substitute for a visit to your doctor but surely some people (like me) are tired of how Western Medicine views symptoms and causes and that there are other alternatives to try before going the traditional way. That's all I'm saying on that for now.

Benefit Findings

Here are some interesting findings about the benefits of massage therapy (taken from Massage Today) :

• A 1986 Touch Research Institute study at the University of Miami showed pre-term babies who received massage therapy had 47 percent greater weight gain and six-day-shorter hospital stays than infants not receiving massage.
  

• Oncology patients show less pain, fatigue, nausea, anxiety and depression following massage therapy, according to a study by Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 2004, and a report in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2002.
  

• Massage therapy reduced chronic back pain in relation to other complementary techniques, according to a 2000 report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
  

• Research has shown massage reduces symptoms from carpal tunnel syndrome. The Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 2004.
  

• Massage therapy has been shown to strengthen the immune system, according to research published in the Journal of Neuroscience, 1996, and Psychosomatic Medicine, 2000.
  

• The Complementary Therapies in Nursing and Midwifery reported in 2004 that stroke patients showed less anxiety and lower blood pressure when massage therapy was used.
  

• The American Journal of Public Health reported in 2002 that massage therapy reduced the frequency of headaches.
  

• Massage therapy is effective is reducing post-surgical pain, according to Pain Management Nursing, 2004.
  

• Alcohol-withdrawal symptoms were lessened in connection with massage therapy, according to The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2005.
  

• A study by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami showed less stress and improved performance for a small sample of employees (against a control group), who had twice-weekly, 15-minute massages in the office.
  

• Distress during burn treatment was reduced in children in connection with massage therapy, according to a 2001 article in the Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation.
  

• The Journal of Gerontological Nursing reported in 1999 that Alzheimer’s patients showed reduced pacing, irritability and restlessness after neck and shoulder massages.
  

• Fibromyalgia patients receiving 30-minute massages had less pain, depression, anxiety, stiffness, fatigue and sleep problems, according to a 1996 Journal of Clinical Rheumatology report.

While noting that more research is needed, the Mayo Clinic website suggests massage therapy benefits the following conditions:

• Anxiety. Massage reduced anxiety in depressed children and anorexic women. It also reduced anxiety and withdrawal symptoms in adults trying to quit smoking.
  

• Immune system. People with HIV who participated in massage studies showed an increased number of natural killer cells, which are thought to defend the body from viral and cancer cells.
  

• Juvenile diabetes. Children who were massaged every day by their parents were more likely to stick to their medication and diet regimens, which helped reduce their blood glucose levels.
  

• Labor pain. Massage during labor appears to reduce stress and anxiety, relax muscles and help block pain. Some medical professionals believe it also reduces tearing, shortens labor, reduces the need for medication and shortens hospital stays.
  

• Pain. Pain was decreased in studies of people with fibromyalgia, migraines and recent surgeries. (Also supported by a 2005 Consumer Reports readership survey in which deep-tissue massage was voted an effective treatment for back pain, arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia.)
• Self-esteem. Direct touch is thought to boost the self-esteem of people with physical disabilities and terminal illnesses, as well as providing reassurance to children with pronounced physical disabilities.
  

• Sports-related soreness. Massage may reduce muscle soreness through increased blood flow to muscles.