Operation
Surgical treatment of the heel spur is only necessary in rare cases. However, if it should occur, the post-treatment phase of the disease is prolonged, since the surgical procedure does not allow the foot to be loaded for several weeks. A post-operative training plan specially tailored to the patient is then drawn up in order to make the rehabilitation process for the affected person as short as possible, but as long as necessary.
In only a few cases is the heel spur itself removed (this is only the case with particularly large heel spurs). In most cases, the surgeon removes the plantar aponeurosis, the tendon plate that is located close to the heel bone, to provide strain relief. The chosen surgical procedure can be minimally invasive, in which case the surgical wounds are smaller afterwards, but the limited visibility makes it easier to accidentally injure surrounding tissue.
The second option is open surgery, in which the operating area is more clearly presented but the wounds are also enlarged. After the operation, the foot must not be loaded for 2 to 3 weeks to ensure problem-free wound healing. However, physiotherapeutic treatment is started in the first days after the operation.
Due to the sudden release of tension, a common complication is a fatigue fracture, so it is important that patients adhere to the therapy plan exactly to minimize the risk. In any case, before the operation, you should ask your doctor for detailed information about the advantages and disadvantages as well as possible risks. Overall, the doctor, in cooperation with the therapists, decides which form of treatment is best suited to each patient individually.
Treatments with shoes/insoles
In order to treat a heel spur, to relieve the affected foot or to prevent the development of a heel spur from the outset, wearing special shoes or insoles is often a sensible solution. If a heel spur already exists, a so-called punched insole with a recess at the site of the heel spur can provide pressure relief and thus support the healing process. If a foot malposition is present, it makes sense to choose insoles that compensate for the malposition so that no unnecessary pressure is exerted on the heel.If you have a foot malposition, but have not had any problems so far, it is still advisable to discuss the appropriateness of insoles with a specialist, since the body first tries to compensate for existing irregularities itself, until the problems surface after a while, usually in the form of pain.
The choice of footwear is also generally very important, especially in the case of heel spurs. The shoes should have special padding in the heel area and a sole that distributes the pressure evenly over the foot and absorbs large parts of it directly. In the case of a superficial heel spur, it can also be helpful to raise the heel so that the pressure is not on the heel spur. It is not possible to say in general which insoles or shoes are suitable for whom, so it is important to have your feet measured and examined by a specialist so that you can receive an aid that is optimally tailored to your needs.
