The effectiveness of Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen poultice in reducing heel pain with Plantar Fasciitis

Abstract

This preliminary experimental study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen herbal poultice in reducing heel pain among patients diagnosed at the Thai Traditional Medicine Clinic, Detudom Crown Prince Hospital, from October 1, 2024 to November 30, 2024. Pain severity was measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) before and after the application of the poultice. General demographic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while differences in mean pain scores before and after treatment were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Matched-pairs Signed Ranks Test at a significance level of 0.05. The results revealed that most participants were female, aged 41–50 years, and had heel pain for more than 10 days prior to receiving treatment. The mean pain score before treatment was 5.73 (SD = 1.25), which decreased to 1.16 (SD = 0.98) after five consecutive applications, demonstrating a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.001).Therefore, the findings indicate that the Acmella oleracea herbal poultice is effective in reducing heel pain and has the potential to be developed as a safe and appropriate alternative treatment modality for integration into Thai traditional medicine services.