Can botox be the cure for a common foot ailment in the future? If one goes by the revelations of a new Mexican study, then the answer is, yes. The study reveals that botox injections help treat the common foot ailment, plantar fasciitis, better than commonly used steroid treatments. Common among both runners and overweight people, plantar fasciitis occurs when connective tissues on the sole of the foot, the plantar fascia, become inflamed.

According to the scientists, steroids can at times cause complications. In two to six per cent of patients, steroid treatments can lead the plantar fascia to rupture. Researchers devised a trial to compare steroid treatment with the botulinium toxin alternative, also known as botox, which works by blocking the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, weakening the muscles for several months.

The scientists recruited 36 patients and divided them into random, double-blind groups, with one being treated with steroids and the other, with botox. Both groups completed stretching exercises, another common treatment protocol. While both groups appeared to be recovering, the botox group reported less foot pain and evaluations found better foot function and alignment. The findings, announced  recently, appeared online in the journal Foot & Ankle International, published by Sage.