Heel spur | Pain in the Achilles tendon

Heel spur

A heel spur is a bony outgrowth in the area of the heel bone. The upper heel spur, an outgrowth in the area of the base of the Achilles tendon, is important for pain in the Achilles tendon. People between 40 and 60 years of age are mainly affected.

The cause is an increased strain on the Achilles tendon attachment, which in turn can have various reasons: These include age, overweight, foot malformations and poor footwear. In the course of time, a heel spur can also trigger an Achilles tendon inflammation. Typical for the heel spur is a stabbing pain at the Achilles tendon insertion, which occurs mainly during exercise and is particularly pronounced after long periods of rest.

Occasionally the pain is also described as burning. The best way to differentiate it from the other possible causes of pain in the Achilles tendon is that the pain in the heel spur can often be localized to a relatively small area. The exact discussion of the type and localization of the pain as well as the risk factors (see above) provides the suspicion of a heel spur. The suspicion can then be confirmed by means of an x-ray, as the heel spur is a bony structure. If the x-ray does not provide a clear diagnosis despite symptoms that strongly indicate a heel spur, an MRI examination can be performed to detect early stages of a heel spur.

Duration of Achilles tendon pain

Since the Achilles tendon is not supplied by blood vessels, but only by diffusion of the tissue and tendon sheath fluid, the metabolism is slow. Consequently, it takes a long time for injuries to the Achilles tendon to heal. If the Achilles tendon becomes inflamed due to overloading, you should take it easy. It usually takes four to six weeks until the inflammation has subsided. During this period, painful strain should be avoided so that the tissue can regenerate well.With more serious diseases such as a rupture or partial rupture, the healing process takes longer, usually about 3 months.