How to Correct Heel Spurs

Heel spurs seem to be a fairly common problem among older Americans. According to heelspurs.com, between 1 to 2.5 percent of people seek medical treatment for heel spurs each year. According to Stephen M. Pribut, doctor of podiatric medicine, "A heel spur is a focal point of bone growth on the heel." The spur usually points toward the toes and is visible in an X-ray. A heel spur is only painful if it has damaged the soft tissue--the plantar fascia--at the bottom of the foot. But as Dr. Pribut points out, "It is not the spur that causes the pain, but the continued tension and tearing of tissue at this location."

Instructions

• 1

  Determine the cause of your heel spur. According to heel-spur-treatment.com, at least 90 percent of all heel spurs resulting in pain occur due to an overload to the foot. The remaining 10 percent of heel spurs occur due to either arthritis or sudden trauma such as a fall or a blow. Arthritic individuals need to treat their disease to relieve pain; those who suffer from trauma need to take of their injury first before dealing with their heel spur.

• 2

  Rest. Stay away from what caused your heel spur in the first place. For example, if you are a runner, stop running for a few months. When you resume running, run shorter distances and with less intensity. Take anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen and ice the heel.

• 3

  Use proper footwear for your particular activity. You may need orthotics to rectify misalignments of the foot. According to Dr. Pribut, it is important that you "check shoes for flexion stability, avoid and replace any shoe that bends before the ball of the foot, and put your flip flops in the closet and forget about them for a very long time."

• 4

  Stretch your calf muscles gently. Sit down with one leg extended and the other one bent. Hook a towel around the ball of the extended leg's foot and pull the foot toward you. You should feel a stretch along the base of your foot and in your calf. Hold for 10 seconds each leg and repeat many times daily. See Resources for another calf stretch.

• 5

  Put your leg in a splint at night. According to Podiatrychannel.com, "A rigid splint may be worn on the foot to keep it at a 90-degree angle during sleep. This prevents the muscles from tightening, reduces strain on the plantar fascia in the morning, and allows healing to occur in the lengthened position."

• 6

  Wear heel cups in your shoes. They will reduce the load on the plantar fasciitis during the day. You can find heel cups in many drugstores or shoe repair stores. Be patient while wearing these. They will help, but it takes time. If you get heel spurs often, wear heel cups all the time.