The heel spur is one of the reasons for heel pain. It may occur on its own or may have a relation to another health condition. Here you can read about the signs and remedies associated with a heel spur.
Signs of the Heel Spur
Most of the time the heel spur is painless. It might get linked to plantar fasciitis in which case; you will experience pain. You might have pain in the front part of the heel. This area might feel warm to the touch. The arch of the foot might get affected by this.
- Shooting pain in the heel, when you stand up in the morning.
- The heel has inflammation.
- Dull pain in the heel that lasts through the day.
- Small bone protrusion visible in the heel.
Often, they exhibit no symptoms. There may not be significant changes in the bones and tissues around the heel region. Over time, a bony spur will appear.
Diagnosis of Heel Spurs
You have to conduct X-Ray tests to detect the presence of the heel spur. Though the pain is evident, detecting the heel spur on your own is difficult. The bony outgrowth occurs on the underside of the foot. You have to get the advice of an orthopedic surgeon to begin the treatment.
Causes for the Ailment
The defect happens due to the build-up of calcium deposits on the underside of the heel bone. This process takes months.
- Heel bruising
- Running and jumping on hard surfaces
- Age
- Improper footwear
- Athletic activity
- Being overweight
- Diabetes
- Female factor
- Improper gait
- Plantar fasciitis
When the shoes wear out, they do not bear the body weight well causing heel spurs to develop. Other causes include reactive arthritis and back pain also known as ankylosing spondylitis.
Treatment Options for Heel Spur Removal
You have many non-surgical choices for dealing with the heel spur. These include the following:
- Apply ice: Keep your feet in a container filled with ice. Putting the ice in plastic bags will help to keep them solid for a longer time. Use of the ice compress helps relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
- Use sports shoes with cushion: These special shoes have pillows and a unique design to elevates the heel and reduce the pain. You might also try shoe inserts to see if they help.
- Physical therapy: Stretching exercises and related physical therapy activities will help. You can do these exercises at night before retiring to sleep so that the relief lasts for a long time.
- Rest: Take rest, this is the best thing to do. Put your feet up and relax the painful heels to bring down the swelling in the region.
- Anti-inflammatory medication: They give this to reduce the swelling. Cortisone injections also help. Pain medications include aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen.
Heel Spur Treatments and Surgery
The surgery is the last option. At the clinic, they will try to solve the problem without the use of surgery. However, if the situation is beyond the use of alternative therapy, then heel spur surgery is the only thing left.
You can get immediate relief after minimally invasive heel spur removal surgery. This surgical method removes the calcium deposit completely. During the surgery to remove the heel spur, the surgeon may also release the plantar fascia muscle. Consult with a minimally invasive surgery center like Northwest Surgery Center for a free diagnosis of your foot condition.