How do I recognize a heel spur? Do you have heel pain or the painful sensation of having a pebble or thumbtack in your shoe, although this is not the case? Then you probably have a heel spur, also called a calcaneal spur. About ten percent of the population has such a thorn-like outgrowth on the heel.
Heel spur: causes of this heel pain.
Most commonly, a heel spur occurs on the underside of the heel bone at the point where the tendon plate (plantar fascia) of the sole of the foot and the short muscles of the foot attach. Less commonly, the heel spur develops at the top of the Achilles tendon attachment. The symptoms often begin between the ages of 40 and 60. A heel spur is mostly the result of overloading. Causes of this overloading can be:
- Strong overweight
- An occupation that requires standing for long periods of time
- A flattened longitudinal arch of the foot
- Prolonged incorrect loading due to hard footwear
- Incorrect running technique
- Insufficient warm-up before sports activities
But also prolonged persistence in forced postures, for example, when driving for hours, increases the risk of getting a heel spur at the heel. Constant overloading leads to small cracks, which the body repairs with calcium deposits. Bit by bit, the heel spur grows and presses on the surrounding connective tissue. At the latest then you need medical help.
Heel spur: how is the diagnosis made?
In addition to heel spurs, there are other conditions that can lead to heel pain. These include:
- Nerve entrapment
- Stress facture of the calcaneus or
- Inflammatory joint disease
These must first be excluded by the doctor. After a detailed questioning and examination and, if necessary, an X-ray and ultrasound examination, the diagnosis is usually certain.
Treatment by relieving the heel
The most important first measure of heel spur treatment is to temporarily relieve the foot. Conservative therapies are the first line of treatment here after a heel spur diagnosis.
For heel spur help insoles and physiotherapy.
The classic forms of therapy for heel spurs include, for example, individually fitted insoles with recesses or foam rubber relining in the area of the heel or the heel spur. In addition, insoles that support the longitudinal arch of the foot are beneficial for the treatment of heel spurs. In addition, a simultaneously existing bent or/and flat foot should be taken into account by means of insoles. Comfortable and well-cushioned shoes for everyday life and sports as well as the correct running technique and warm-up training are also very important. In addition, special physiotherapy exercises can help a heel spur. These exercises for diagnosed heel spur stretch and strengthen the tendons on the calf and sole of the foot. The pain is reduced.
Therapeutic measures for the treatment of heel spur.
In addition to conservative therapies, conservative physical therapy measures exist to treat heel spur. These include:
- Injection procedures: The physician injects anti-inflammatory medications such as cortisone and local anesthetics into the inflamed connective tissue. However, this is not a permanent therapy.
- Iontophoresis: ion migration is used to deliver drugs through the skin into the bloodstream and tissues.
- Local cold therapy: for this you can simply apply ice – wrapped in a damp towel – for about 5 minutes.
- Medi-Taping: by applying a Medi-Tape pain receptors are directly influenced. Inflammatory secretions and water retention are transported away more quickly.
- Shock wave treatment with ultrasound (extracorporeal shock wave therapy ESWT): ultrasound pulses hit the affected heel area and act – the “how” is still unclear – pain relieving (success rate circa 50 to 80 percent).
- X-ray depth irradiation / X-ray stimulation irradiation: through the irradiation with low-dose X-rays, the inflammatory changes recede. As a result, the pain also subside.
- “Phonopower” with tuning forks: vibrating forks are said to accelerate the dissolution of calcium accumulations of the heel spur.
- Homeopathy: The appropriate preparation is Hekla Lava from the fluoride-rich ash of the volcano Mount Hekla in Iceland.The application is three times a day for three weeks as a tablet in the potency D2. The drug is available without a prescription at the pharmacy.
Surgery for heel spur therapy only in an emergency.
During surgery, the tension on the tendons caused by the heel spur is reduced by cutting off part of the tendons of the tendon plate of the foot. However, this can lead to a flat foot in the long run. There are still the normal surgical risks such as nerve damage and infection. In retrospect, the surgical wound itself may cause heel spur-like symptoms. Then the surgery was of no help and there is only one thing left to do to treat the heel spur: Block the nerves around the pain point.
