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. Dear Terry, “I have recurrent plantar fasciitis. I do exercises and see a chiropractor; however, the stubborn pain persists. What more can I do?” — Jessie M., Green Bay, WI

A. Dear Jessie, 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.

You need to both reduce inflammation and mildly stretch out the connective tissue in your foot. I find that the easiest way to do this is to 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.

As for nutritional interventions, you need to reduce the pain and inflammation in these irritated tissues. A combination of bioavailable curcumin with boswellia, DLPA and nattokinase will help to address your pain. Each ingredient works in a slightly different manner to get you comfortable as quickly as possible. Curcumin (from turmeric) and boswellia are two Indian plants that exhibit very effective anti-inflammatory properties. 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. I advise taking one to two capsules of this blend three times a day.

To heal and improve the elasticity of the plantar fascia, I prefer a multi-ingredient formula specific to the connective tissue. It should include the active forms of vitamins B6 and B12, along with magnesium, manganese, bromelain, zinc, vitamin C, niacinamide, and boswellia. One of the most crucial ingredients is manganese. You need at least 36 mg of manganese to have an impact, so make sure the dosing of this critical mineral is adequate. I recommend taking 2 capsules of this blend daily.

Healthy Regards!

Terry . . . Naturally