A heel spur is a bony projection on the sole (bottom) of the heel bone. This condition may accompany or result from severe cases of inflammation to the structure called plantar fascia. The plantar
fascia is a fibrous band of connective tissue on the sole of the foot, extending from the heel to the toes. Heel spurs are a common foot problem resulting from excess bone growth on the heel bone.
The bone growth is usually located on the underside of the heel bone, and may extend forward toward the toes. A painful tear in the plantar fascia between the toes and heel can produce a heel spur
and/or inflammation of the plantar fascia. Because this condition is often correlated to a decrease in the arch of the foot, it is more prevalent after the ages of six to eight years, when the arch
is fully developed.
Heel spurs are bony outgrowths positioned where the plantar fascia tissue attaches to the heel bone (the calcaneus). Heel spurs seldom cause pain. It is the inflamed tissue surrounding the spur that
causes the pain. The Latin meaning of Plantar Fasciitis is, ?Inflammation of Plantar Fascia.? The plantar fascia is a long, thick and very tough band of tissue beneath your foot that provides arch
support. It also connects your toes to your heel bone. Each time you take a step, the arch slightly flattens to absorb impact. This band of tissue is normally quite strong and flexible but
unfortunately, circumstances such as undue stress, being overweight, getting older or having irregularities in your foot dynamics can lead to unnatural stretching and micro-tearing of the plantar
fascia. This causes pain and swelling at the location where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone. As the fascia continually pulls at the heel bone, the constant irritation eventually creates
a bony growth on the heel. This is called a heel spur.
Heel spurs can be quite painful, but can just as likely occur with no symptoms at all. Plantar fasciitis is a contributing condition to heel spurs. The cause of the pain is not the heel spur itself
but the soft-tissue injury associated with it. The feeling has been described as a knife or pin sticking into the bottom of your feet when you first stand up after sitting or laying down for a long
period of time - a pain that later turns into a dull ache.
A heel spur is often seen on X-ray as a bony protrusion, which can vary in size. However, because a Heel Spur only indicates increased load on the plantar fascia, and not pain, an ultra sound may be
required to assess other actual cause of the heel pain such and may include checking to see if the plantar fascia is inflamed or degenerated.
Non Surgical Treatment
Get some rest. You need to stay off of your aching foot as much as possible for at least a week. Think about possible causes of the problem while you're resting and figure out how you can make some
changes. Some actions that can contribute to heel spurs include running too often or running on hard surfaces such as concrete, tight calf muscles, shoes with poor shock absorption. Ease back into
your activities. In many cases, you'll be in too much pain to go ahead with a strenuous exercise routine that puts pressure or impact on your heel. Listen to your body and switch to different
activities such as swimming or riding a bike until your heel spurs improve.
In a small number of cases (usually less than 5 percent), patients may not experience relief after trying the recommendations listed above. It is important that conservative treatments (such as those
listed above) be performed for AT LEAST a year before considering surgery. Time is important in curing the pain from heel spurs, and insufficient treatment before surgery may subject you to potential
complications from the procedure. If these treatments fail, your doctor may consider an operation to loosen the plantar fascia, called a plantar fascia release.
o help prevent heel and bone spurs, wear properly designed and fitted shoes or boots that provide sufficient room in the toe box so as not to compress the toes. They should also provide cushioning in
appropriate areas to minimize the possibility of the irritation and inflammation that can lead to bone spurs in the feet. If needed, use inserts that provide arch support and a slight heel lift to
help ensure that not too much stress is placed on the plantar fascia. This helps to reduce the possibility of inflammation and overstress. Wearing padded socks can also help by reducing trauma.
Peer-reviewed, published studies have shown that wearing clinically-tested padded socks can help protect against injuries to the skin/soft tissue of the foot due to the effects of impact, pressure
and shear forces. Also consider getting your gait analyzed by a foot health professional for appropriate orthotics. If you have heel pain, toe pain or top-of-the-foot pain, see your doctor or foot
specialist to ensure that a spur has not developed.