Heel Spur (Calcaneal spur)

Heel spur (Calcaneal spur) is a bonny outgrowth of the heel bone which is pointy in shape. It's a calcium deposit that happens under the heel bone. In some cases, the protrusion due to heel spur can extend up to half inch and can be seen in X rays. Generally it is painless but sometimes it may result in heel pain.

Heel spur that occur under the sole of the foot or the planter area is associated with plantar fasciitis. That is frequently associated with plantar fasciitis as they have many similarities.

Causes of heel spur

The main cause of heel spur is calcium deposit under the heel bone.  Building of calcium deposits can take place over several months. Heel spurs happens because of stress on the foot ligaments and muscles and continuous tearing of the membrane covering the heel bone. It also happens due to continuous stretching the plantar fascia.

Heel spurs are mostly seen in case of athletes who has to do lots of jumping and running.

The risk factors that may lead to heel spurs include-

• Abnormalities in walking which place too much stress on the heel bone, nerves in the heel and ligaments.
• Poorly fitted shoes without the right arch support.
• Jogging and running on hard surfaces.
• Excess weight
• Older age
• Diabetes
• Standing for a longer duration.

Symptoms

Heel spurs often do not show any symptoms. If you have intermittent or chronic pain when you walk, run or jog, it may be heel spur. There will be inflammation the point where spur formation happens. The pain is caused by soft tissue injury in the heel. Patients often describe the pain as a pin or knife sticking to the heel. The pain is more specially in the morning when the patient stands up for the first time.

 Click Here! and Get relief from Your heel spur

Treatment

Nonsurgical treatments

Rest won't help you in case of pain from the heel spur. When you get up after sleeping for some time, the pain may get worse. The pain worsens after a period of rest. You will feel pain because the plantar fascia elongates during working which stresses the heel.

It is important to see a doctor if you are having consistent pain in you heel. The doctors may advise few or all of the conservative treatments mentioned below-

• Stretching exercises
• Shoe recommendations
• Shoe inserts or orthotic devices
• Physical therapy
• Taping or strapping to rest stressed muscles and tendons

There are some over-the-counter medicines available for treatment of heel pain. Acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), or naproxen (Aleve) are some such medicines which can help you to get relief from the pain. In case of biomechanical imbalances causing the pain, a functional orthotic device can help you to get relief. Your doctor may also advise a corticosteroid injection for eliminating the inflammation.

Surgical treatment for heel spur

Almost 90% of the people suffering from heel spur get better with nonsurgical treatments. However, if the conservative treatments do not help you and you still have pain even after 9 to 12 months, your doctor may advise surgery for treating heel spur. The surgery helps in reducing the pain and improving your mobility. Some of the surgical techniques used by doctors are-

• Release of the plantar fascia
• Removal of a spur

Before the surgery, the doctor will go for some pre-surgical tests and exams. After the operation, you will need to follow some specific recommendations which may include elevation of the foot, waiting time only after which you can put weight on the foot etc.
Get relief from heel spur, Click Here!