The Best Way to Cure Heel Spurs

Heel spurs are a painful condition that rears its head each time you take a step. Fortunately, treatment methods are available to make heel spurs a thing of the past.

Signs and Symptoms

• A heel spur is the build-up of calcium on the heel bone (or calcaneus bone). The spur itself looks much like a small nail or tooth that extends from the bone and digs into the flesh, causing pain and discomfort. The spur develops as a result of stress to the heel bone due to arthritis, poor circulation or other diseases that cause an inflammatory reaction in the body.

  Heel spurs can develop over the course of several years, and while many believe it is the spur itself that is the result of pain, it is actually the inflamed tendons and nerves that cause pain.

Conservative Treatment Options

• If you suspect you have a heel spur, a physician will recommend an X-ray to diagnose the condition. Upon viewing the size and shape of the heel spur, the physician may recommend conservative treatment options or surgery in severe cases.

  Conservatives treatments include applying heat to the spur to expand the blood vessels, thereby decreasing pain. Inserting a foam rubber pad to the heel of a shoe may also ease the pressure and shift the balance, reducing stress on the spur. Custom-made orthotics can achieve a similar effect. Over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen, may also reduce inflammation.

  Cortisone injections into the heel may be used or diathermy treatment, in which an electrical current is applied to the tissues via a whirlpool bath. Patients dip their feet in and the current stimulates circulation, reducing inflammation in the tissues.

Surgical Options

• While other treatment options aim at reducing inflammation around the spur itself, surgery is used to correct the spur. Surgery is only recommended in extreme cases in which conservative treatments have failed.

  The first surgical option is known as endoscopic plantar fasciotomy. This approach requires two incisions, then uses a tiny camera as a guide to free the ligament (known as the planta fascia) from the bone, relieving tension and creating space that reduces pain (but does not eliminate the spur itself).

  The second approach is similar to endoscopic plantar fasciotomy; however, only a portion of the ligament is detached.

  The final approach is to remove the heel spur itself, which is the most invasive approach and is only used in extreme circumstances.

Prevention

• While some conditions cause heel spurs and cannot be prevented, people should avoid placing unnecessary stress on their feet, which can cause the spur to build. Wearing ill-fitting shoes also can cause a heel spur. Weight gain and overuse also can cause heel spurs and therefore should be avoided.