What is a HEEL SPUR?

Heel spurs are soft, bendable deposits of calcium that are the result of tension and inflammation in the plantar fascia attachment to the heel.  Heel spurs do not cause pain. They are only evidence (not proof) that a patient may have plantar fasciitis.  

Symptoms

• Pain or tenderness over the weight-bearing part of the bottom of the heel.
• A bump that can sometimes be felt when the area is touched.

However, symptoms in the heel are most often caused by inflammation rather than by the spur itself.

A heel spur can be diagnosed by looking at an X-ray. In most cases the spur is not the main cause of the heel pain, so the spur is generally left alone and the cause of the heel pain is treated. For instance, a painful and inflamed tendon near the spur (plantar fasciitis) may need treatment.

Treatments for Heel Spurs and Plantar Fasciitis

• Ice your feet - icing will help diminish some of the symptoms and control the heel pain. Icing is especially    helpful after an acute exacerbation of symptoms.

• Stretching the fascia in the morning after sleeping before getting out of bed.

• Arch Support (Amazing Insoles Liquid Orthotics, Spenco, Powerstep)

• Never walk in your bare feet always have your arch supported (Orthaheel, Spenco, Sole) 

• Lose weight (Most sufferers are people who are overweight and middle-aged. This is due to the shock-absorbing fat pillow under the foot shrinking over the years and becoming less effective.

• Day time treatment (Amazing Insoles Liquid Orthotics, HTP Heel Seats)

• Night time therapy (Night Splint to keep your foot at a 90 degree angle that keeps the fascia stretched over night.

• Rest