Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Hi Terry, “I was just fine and then one morning I got up and my foot hurt—especially in the heel. It kept getting worse and now the doctor says I have plantar fasciitis. I am not even sure what that is. She says if it doesn’t get better, I might have to have injections of steroids into my foot. I do not want to do this! I told her I was going to do natural first and she said that was OK with her. So what can I use from a natural standpoint to help with my foot?” —Mick Y, Hartford, CT A. Dear Mick, Plantar fasciitis is a hard one. The plantar fascia is a very thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. This band of tissue is what creates the arch of the foot. When the fascia is overstretched or overused, it can become inflamed. When it is inflamed, it can be painful and make walking more difficult. Pain in the foot when you first get up to walk is very common, as is heel pain. I think the best way to deal with this is nutritionally AND mechanically. Let’s talk about mechanical first. Take a plastic water bottle and fill it 75% full, then freeze it. When you are sitting down at home, take off your shoes and socks and roll the frozen bottle with the bottom of your foot. This will ice the bottom of your foot, and also loosen up the ligaments and tendons a bit. Another alternative is to put a golf ball in the freezer so it gets very cold, and use the bottom of your foot to roll the ball around. You need to both reduce inflammation and mildly stretch out the connective tissue in your foot. You might also want to see a chiropractor, integrative podiatrist, or physical therapist to look at your feet and how you walk. Many individuals have abnormalities in the arch of the foot that greatly contribute to plantar fasciitis. Using shoe inserts (called orthotics) that help correct your arch and how you walk/stand can help you recover from this foot problem faster and help prevent its recurrence. As for nutritional interventions, you need to reduce the pain and inflammation in these irritated tissues. The best combination for this is a blend of curcumin, boswellia, DLPA (dl-Phenylalanine) and nattokinase. Curcumin (from turmeric) and boswellia are two Indian plants that exhibit very effective anti-inflammatory properties. However, plain curcumin 95% is very poorly absorbed and basically is trapped in the intestinal tract. Recently, an Indian company developed a new high absorption curcumin that is up to 1000% (10 times) better absorbed than plain curcumin 95%. This is a micronized curcumin with turmeric essential oils blended back into the powder, along with some natural plant phospholipids. Boswellia should be standardized to at least 18% AKBA, which is a potent anti-inflammatory boswellic acid in the herb. DLPA works to sustain the effects of the body’s own natural pain killers, called endorphins and enkephalins, and nattokinase increases microcirculation and balances fibrinogen levels in muscle tissue, which is particularly useful in soft tissue injuries. You might want to start with a dose between 1400 and 1500 mg of this blend, taken 3 times per day. As your pain improves, you can reduce to half this amount, and over time, may be able to reduce the dosage even further. You can find formulas such as this at quality health food stores in your area.