Heel Spurs Treatment

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Medical center / Services / Foot and ancle / Heel Spurs

A foot spur is a medical problem, the main manifestation of which is pain in the heel (the patient experiences it at rest, when walking, usually in the morning, and also after prolonged exertion). The localization of the problem is the area of the heel at the level of the sole, as here the plantar muscles of the foot are attached. Muscles are tense and they irritate the foot. So, first a cyst appears, then irritation leads to bone formation. This is what is called a bone spur in everyday life.

Parallel to this, there is an overgrowth of the calcaneus at the attachment of the Achilles tendon, which causes pain and interferes with wearing shoes. A systematic approach in treatment is required to address the foot spur problem.

Causes and Symptoms of Heel Spurs

The cause of the formation of a foot spur is inflammation of the plantar fascia due to increased stress on it or due to its failure. The development of the inflammatory-degenerative process in the tissues of the aponeurosis is provoked by:

flat feet with longitudinal deformity of the foot;
sedentary lifestyle;
excess body weight;
prolonged static loads on the feet (standing, walking in high heels, wearing uncomfortable shoes);
microtrauma during intense sports training.

The main manifestation of bone spur is aching in the feet. In the early stages of the disease, it occurs while walking. With the development and aggravation of the severity of the pathology, the pain sensations become stronger and sharper. One of the particular features is the starting pain that occurs at the moment of the movement after a long break or sleep.

During the examination of the foot, pronounced clinical signs are usually not observed, in some cases of bone spur there is a slight puffiness in the heel area. Palpation reveals pain in the lateral areas of the calcaneus and in the middle of the heel from the sole.

Treatment of Heel Spurs

Treatment of a feet spur largely depends on its causes and symptoms and is prescribed on an individual basis. Our Orlando doctors use several techniques in heel spur treatment:

medicamental treatment;
physiotherapy – shock wave effect;
laser treatment;
X-ray therapy;
massage;
physiotherapy exercises and gymnastics.

The patient is required to correct the lifestyle and nutrition, as well as the wearing of orthopedic shoes for efficient heel spur treatment.

Surgery of Heel Spurs

All previous techniques are aimed at relieving pain and inflammation, as well as improving the patient’s condition. A properly selected heel spur treatment helps to slow down the spur growth process in the foot or even completely stop it, but it does not allow getting rid of it completely. The exception is shock wave treatment, but it only destroys very small growths.

One can get rid of a large spur only by heel spur surgery. In the classic way of the operation, the surgeon cuts the fascia completely and immediately removes the bone protrusion from the foot.

Also doctors often use a more modern and gentle technique than heel spur surgery called microtenotomy. The essence of such is to eliminate damaged foot tissue using radio frequency waves.