Plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the tough tissue on the sole of the foot, is a drag. The heel pain, though persistent, is especially strong in the morning and can make it difficult to exercise or even walk around to get dressed. Usually it is less troublesome during the day, but going for a run or standing for long periods at work can aggravate the problem. What can be done? Some readers are enthusiastic about grape juice with Certo.
Grape Juice with Certo for Plantar Fasciitis:
Q. My plantar fasciitis was off the hook painful. Shoe inserts just made it worse. I started one of your remedies: 1 tablespoon Certo in 1 cup of Welch’s Concord Grape Juice.
Within a few days I started experiencing relief. I now walk five to eight miles a day with very little discomfort. In addition, I no longer need to take pain relievers for this problem.
A. Other readers have reported success with this approach to plantar fasciitis. We’re glad it was so helpful. Here is another question about grape juice with Certo as a remedy for foot pain:
Will Grape Juice with Certo Ease Foot Pain?
Q. You have written in your column about using grape juice and Certo to relieve plantar fasciitis. I have chronic gout and peripheral neuropathy in my right foot and I want to try this cocktail to see if I can get relief.
How much Certo do I put into what quantity of grape juice? I hope you can give me the recipe to ease foot pain.
The Certo and Grape Juice Recipe:
A. The classic Certo and grape juice recipe was developed as a home remedy for arthritis. People use two teaspoons of Certo in three ounces of purple grape juice three times daily. Some find that one tablespoon of Certo in eight ounces of grape juice taken once daily is more convenient and works just as well. You might want to try both dosing regimens to see if you like one better than another.
Grape Juice Against Gout:
It is quite possible that the grape juice will help against gout; a French study many decades ago found that grape juice could help the body jettison excess uric acid (Loeper & Tisseyre, Le Progres Medical, Nov. 24, 1960). This has not been studied much, but it was confirmed by a mouse study 13 years ago (Wang et al, Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, May, 2004). Uric acid is the compound that can precipitate in crystals and cause the excruciating joint pain recognized as gout.
What Is Certo?
Home cooks use the liquid plant pectin called Certo to thicken jams and jellies. It can be found in the canning section of your grocery.
Some readers have asked about powdered pectin products such as Pomona’s Universal Pectin. It can be tricky to get this to dissolve in grape juice, but it appears to have helpful anti-inflammatory activity that can alleviate joint pain.
To learn more about this and other natural approaches to easing inflammation we recommend our online resource, the Guide to Alternatives for Arthritis.
You can also watch a video in which we demonstrate how to mix up grape juice with Certo.
An Unexpected Cause of Foot Pain:
Linda in Kerrville, TX, reported:
“Some blood pressure meds caused me extreme foot pain. Doctors had never heard of this. I changed meds several times and now I am foot pain-free at last.
“The pain may come months or weeks after beginning the meds. The pain may be on top of the foot or on the bottom, front or back. One foot only may be affected. The blood pressure meds were the cause for my pain.”
Other Helpful Remedies:
Grape juice with Certo is not the only treatment you may want to try for persistent foot pain. Other nondrug approaches to dealing with gout include celery seeds (Apium graveolens) or tart cherries (Singh, Shah & Edwards, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, March 1, 2016). Experts frequently recommend a low-purine diet to help prevent gout flare-ups.
Stretching the foot, especially in the morning before rising, can help control plantar fasciitis pain. The idea is to pull the toes toward the knee. You might need a willing confederate (such as a patient spouse) to help you with this before you get out of bed. Once you are up, you can do it yourself by standing halfway on a step and lowering the painful heel below the level of the toes that are supporting you. One foot at a time works fine.
