Although the causes of plantar fasciitis are not completely understood, the issue may be a muscle knot, or “myofascial pain” and is likely to be referred pain. This can be treated by acupuncture, gua sha or acupressure of its *trigger point* (often located away from the point of pain). In this case, the trigger point may be located at a precise point on the back of the calf muscle. In acupuncture, this point will be at or close to a point known as “Bladder 57” on the bladder meridian (in this case, nothing to do with the bladder … or perhaps it is)
Bladder 57 is also the feature point (the specialist point) for haemorrhoids and constipation. We have at least one case where a lady had all three (seemingly unrelated) conditions.
Perhaps there has been an injury to the back of your calf muscle (you might have knocked it on something, when getting in or out of the car or because of an insect bite).
It’s worth noting that ice therapy is contra-indicated after the first day of the pain because it blocks the blood flow and the healing processes that normally kick-in.
Is the plantar pain accompanied by calf pain, occipital headaches or upper back pain? The bladder meridian also runs through the lung 1.5 Chinese inches (Bladder 13) and at 3 Chinese inches (Bladder 43) on the back, measuring right and left from spinal point T3. It may be worth palpating those points to see if there is any tenderness, along with Bladder 10 (on the neck).