Heel spurs, what are they and how do we get rid of them?
The short answer is; we don’t need to get rid of them. Heel spurs themselves are not the cause of the pain that you are experiencing. Heel spurs are growths of bone that originate from the heel bone and run into the plantar fasciia. The plantar fascia is a tissue that runs through your arch to make walking and running far more effective. This is achieved by allowing the foot to become a rigid lever which helps with efficiency in force transfer from your leg, hip and back muscles to the ground.
Having a heel spur on an x-ray can make a lot of sense when you relate this to your heel pain. However the heel spur is not something that has grown over night and has probably been there for years while you were pain free. The onset of the pain is caused by plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia. Inflammation of this tissue can happen to people of any age or fitness levels although is generally seen in adults.
In summary, although you may have a heel spur in your foot this is probably not the source of the pain and the treatment should be focused around the painful inflamed tissue. By wearing supportive shoe’s, performing appropriate excercises and wearing orthotics that work to change the way your foot functions. Inflammation and pain can usually be controlled without limiting activity levels.
To have a discussion with a Podiatrist and get advice on current evidence based treatments feel free to contact us.