What Conditions Does Holistic Podiatry Treat?

Holistic podiatry treats a wide range of foot and ankle issues — from sprains and tendon injuries to arthritis and nerve pain — by addressing not just the site of pain, but the underlying reasons healing has stalled. This might include inflammation, circulation problems, scar tissue, hormonal imbalances, excessive stress, poor sleep, or nutritional deficiencies. The goal isn’t just symptom relief — it’s restoring your body’s natural ability to heal.

Key Points:

• Root-Cause Focus: Holistic podiatry looks beyond the injury to uncover why it’s not healing — often finding inflammation, scar tissue, poor blood flow, or nutritional or metabolic imbalances driving chronic issues.
• Whole-Body Integration: Recognizes that gut health, circulation, immune balance, hormone function, and even toxins can affect how foot and ankle injuries recover.
• Non-Surgical Options: Offers regenerative therapies like prolotherapy, PRP, ozone, HBOT, and IV nutrients to activate the body’s healing response — instead of relying solely on pain meds, orthotics, or surgery.
• Personalized Care: Treatment is customized based on the patient’s full history, lifestyle, and diagnostic testing — not a one-size-fits-all protocol.

A Simple Analogy

Think of your foot or ankle problem like a check engine light. Conventional care might turn the light off (with painkillers or steroid injections), but holistic podiatry opens the hood to find out why the light came on in the first place, maybe your system’s low on oil (nutrients), clogged with rust (inflammation), or running on fumes (poor circulation).

Instead of masking the issue, holistic care restores function so the engine runs like new.

Common Conditions Treated with Holistic Podiatry

• Ankle Sprains & Ligament Injuries – Especially when slow to heal or re-injury is frequent
• Achilles Tendonitis & Tendon Tears – With a focus on resolving inflammation and scar tissue
• Plantar Fasciitis & Heel Pain – Going beyond arch supports to address root imbalances
• Arthritis & Joint Degeneration – Especially in the ankle, big toe, or midfoot
• Neuromas & Nerve Pain – Including nerve entrapment and pain on the ball of the foot
• Slow-Healing Fractures or Post-Surgical Pain – Especially when recovery is delayed
• Sports Injuries – Soccer, basketball, pickleball, hiking, and other activity-related trauma
• Post-Bunion or Fusion Complications – Helping restore tissue health and mobility
• Circulatory & Oxygen Deficiency Issues – Using therapies like HBOT and IV nutrients
• Chronic Swelling & Inflammation – Including autoimmune-related foot pain

When To Seek Care Urgently

Call emergency services for sudden weakness or numbness, severe headache, vision loss, trouble speaking, chest pain, or other red-flag symptoms—these could indicate stroke or another emergency.

Sources (Authoritative Overviews)

Henning PR, Grear BJ. Platelet-rich plasma in the foot and ankle. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2018 Dec;11(4):616-623. doi: 10.1007/s12178-018-9522-z. PMID: 30259330; PMCID: PMC6220005.

Jiménez-Pérez AE, Gonzalez-Arabio D, Diaz AS, Maderuelo JA, Ramos-Pascua LR. Clinical and imaging effects of corticosteroids and platelet-rich plasma for the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis: A comparative non randomized prospective study. Foot Ankle Surg. 2019 Jun;25(3):354-360. doi: 10.1016/j.fas.2018.01.005. Epub 2018 Feb 9. PMID: 30321976.

Rabago D, Patterson JJ, Mundt M, Kijowski R, Grettie J, Segal NA, Zgierska A. Dextrose prolotherapy for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. Ann Fam Med. 2013 May-Jun;11(3):229-37. doi: 10.1370/afm.1504. Erratum in: Ann Fam Med. 2013 Sep-Oct;11(5):480. PMID: 23690322; PMCID: PMC3659139.

Chung MW, Hsu CY, Chung WK, Lin YN. Effects of dextrose prolotherapy on tendinopathy, fasciopathy, and ligament injuries, fact or myth?: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Nov 13;99(46):e23201. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000023201. PMID: 33181700; PMCID: PMC7668443.

Yildiz KM, Guler H, Ogut H, Yildizgoren MT, Turhanoglu AD. A comparison between hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy and conventional physiotherapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Med Int (Lond). 2023 Aug 29;3(5):45. doi: 10.3892/mi.2023.105. PMID: 37745156; PMCID: PMC10514571.

Capotosto S, Nazemi AK, Komatsu DE, Penna J. Prolotherapy in the Treatment of Sports-Related Tendinopathies: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Orthop J Sports Med. 2024 Nov 4;12(11):23259671241275087. doi: 10.1177/23259671241275087. PMID: 39502373; PMCID: PMC11536850.

Kim Foot & Ankle Centers (Long Beach, CA)

Dr. Kim’s approach blends regenerative injections (like ozone, nutritional IVs, HBOT, prolotherapy, and PRP) with advanced diagnostics, integrative therapies, and whole-body support. Every patient receives:

• A personalized plan after 1:1 consultation with Dr. Kim or a certified holistic provider
• Access to advanced treatments like hyperbaric oxygen therapy with red light therapy, IV nutrient therapy, and gait retraining
• Lab-guided insights into hidden drivers of pain — such as inflammation, circulation, scar tissue, or nutrient deficiencies
• Natural homeopathic detox program to unlock the body’s healing potential.

This natural detox program helps clean liver, gut and kidneys to kick start the healing process.

Next Steps

Explore Our Regenerative Program:3-Month Regenerative Therapy Program »
Schedule Your Initial Consultation: Meet with Dr. Kim to uncover what’s really going on and explore non-surgical, whole-body options for recovery.
Serving Patients in Long Beach, CA and Surrounding Areas

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Don Kim, DPM, ND
Last Updated: October 21, 2025