What Are the Symptoms of Heel Spurs?

Bone spurs, also called osteophytes, can occur on the edges of any bone, especially between joints and along weight-bearing bones. Although you may have a spur and never realize it, a spur on your heel is more likely to cause symptoms, since it receives significant pressure and wear. According to the Mayo Clinic and the American Academy of Family Physicians, the symptoms of heel spurs include pain and swelling in your foot.

Numbness

• Numbness in your foot and toes is a symptom of a heel spur that may result from the spur pressing against the nerves and blood vessels of your foot.

Swelling

• Swelling in your heel and around your ankle may result from a heel spur, if the spur grows too close to blood vessels and causes changes in your blood circulation.

Foot Pain

• You may experience pain that starts in your heel and radiates up the back of your Achilles tendon and throughout your foot.

Joint Pain

• A heel spur can change your posture while you are walking, which can result in pain in the joints of your spine and your hips.

Muscle Cramps

• To compensate for the spur on your heel, you may adjust your position while walking, which can cause you to develop muscle cramps in your lower leg.

Loss of Motion

• You may be unable to fully bend or extend your foot because of a heel spur, and activities such as climbing stairs or hiking at an incline may become difficult.