The treatment options for heel spurs

In the case of a heel spur, a special tape, i.e. an adhesive bandage, can help to alleviate the symptoms. The tape must be stuck in a certain way in order to have a positive effect, which is why it should be applied by doctors or physiotherapists. If the tape is applied incorrectly, it can even worsen the symptoms.

Two strips of Kinesiotape are needed for taping a heel spur. The first strip is placed centrally under the sole of the foot and is applied along the Achilles tendon up to half the calf when the foot is stretched. The second strip starts on the outside of the sole of the foot and is stuck over the inner ankle also up to the height of half the calf.

The aim of this tape is to ensure that the tendon plate, which is located under the foot, cannot be stretched too far. This avoids constant irritation of the tendon attachment, which can lead to the development and aggravation of a heel spur. In addition, the continuous slight pull on the skin promotes blood circulation and can also help to alleviate symptoms.

The simplest home remedy that can be used for a heel spur is cooling. For this purpose, either cooling compresses can be used or ice cubes with which an ice massage of the foot can be performed. When using cooling compresses, care should be taken to ensure that they do not lie directly on the skin, as this can cause icing.

It is better to wrap them in a cloth before use. In addition to cooling, the foot should of course be relieved. The use of gel pads under the heel in shoes can lead to an improvement in symptoms when walking.

However, this is not a permanent sensible solution, as it can lead to malpositioning of the foot. In the long term, special insoles should be individually adapted to the foot. Stretching exercises can also be counted among the home remedies.

These strengthen the muscles and reduce the symptoms in the long term. For example, a cloth can be placed around the sole of the foot while sitting and held in place with the hands. The muscles are stretched by a light pull.

Lifting a cloth with the feet off the floor also strengthens the muscles. Homeopathic remedies can also be used as a support or alone in the therapy of heel spurs. Here Hekla Lava has proven to be effective.

Hekla Lava is a remedy that is extracted from the ashes of a volcano. It is supposed to make the body fight inflammation by its own power. Hekla Lava can be taken as globules.

The self-healing powers of the body can also be supported by magnetic field therapy. In addition, acupuncture can also alleviate the symptoms of a heel spur. Another household remedy is marmot fat.

This is contained in various ointments and has a positive effect on muscles and joints. It is considered an alternative to cortisone. The ointment consists of marmots’ fat, which is very rich in vitamins.

In order to positively influence the heel spur, the ointment should be applied twice a day for a longer period of time.Rhododendron ointment is also said to bring about a rapid improvement of symptoms if applied several times a day. In the early stages of a heel spur, it often helps to put gel pads in shoes under the heel or wear insoles. However, this is not a permanent solution because heel spurs are often caused by a defective position of the foot which should be corrected.

The production of insoles is one of the conservative therapeutic approaches for heel spurs. These can be individually adapted to the feet by the orthopedic technician and often contain recesses or foam rubber padding in the heel area, depending on the load on the heel. Often, a buckling foot or a flat foot is at the root of the problem and in most cases is also responsible for the heel spur.

The insoles should therefore optimize the load on the heel on the one hand and counteract the foot malposition on the other. The insoles are designed to support the arch of the foot and give it stability. This straightens the arch of the foot and relieves the heel.

The manufactured insoles can be placed in different shoes and thus be worn regularly. The discomfort caused by the heel spur should be minimized or even disappear completely after about 4 to 6 weeks if the insoles are worn regularly. If this is not the case, or if the insoles are felt to be uncomfortable after wearing them for a longer period of time, they can be corrected.

This is usually not a problem. In cases in which the heel spur is very pronounced and causes severe discomfort, it is possible that insoles may not lead to sufficient improvement. In this case, orthopedic health shoes can lead to symptom relief.

These also help to correct any defective positions of the foot and relieve the heel. Both the costs for the specially made insoles and the costs for the orthopedic health shoes are usually covered by the public and private health insurance companies. There is only a rather small personal contribution, which the patient has to pay by himself.

Insoles and orthopedic health shoes can alleviate the complaints and bring about an improvement, but additional measures to strengthen the muscles should be taken, such as physiotherapy or the independent performance of exercises. Heel spur surgery should only be performed in absolutely exceptional cases. This is very rarely the case, since in most cases an improvement of the symptoms can be achieved by conservative measures.

Surgery should be avoided if possible, since it can bring many complications. It is only performed in about 2% of cases of heel spurs. In addition, the operation is relatively complex.

Surgery can only be performed for a lower heel spur, i.e. a heel spur that is located under the sole of the foot. In the course of the operation, the short muscles of the foot are incised so that the tendon plate under the sole of the foot can be detached from the heel bone. This leads to a relief of the tendon and to an alleviation of the discomfort.

In very serious cases, when there is a severe inflammation, it may be necessary to remove bone tissue. Such an operation of the calcaneal spur is not always successful. It can happen that the complaints remain even after the operation.

In addition, undesirable consequences must be expected during an operation. Not only the anesthesia is a risk, but also the subsequent wound healing can be disturbed and an infection of the wound can occur. In addition, the natural fat cushion, which is located under the heel and has a shock-absorbing effect, may be lost during the operation.

Before deciding on surgery, conservative measures should be tested. Although these are much more protracted, they are more effective in the long term and are associated with far fewer side effects and risks. The duration of the therapy of a calcaneal spur varies from person to person.

The conservative measures are usually very lengthy, but are still preferable because they are much less risky and more effective in the long term. Acute pain conditions can be combated in the short term by the administration of painkilling medication. In the long term, however, the incorrect strain on the heel that led to the heel spur should be treated.The regular performance of exercises to strengthen the calf muscles should be applied over several weeks or even months.

This is the only way to strengthen the musculature in the long term. Wearing custom-made insoles also requires patience. In some cases an improvement of the complaints can already occur after one to two weeks, in other cases it takes up to 6 weeks.

Since the heel spur is usually caused by a defective position of the foot, it has developed over many years. The regression and the fight against the symptoms caused by it are therefore also quite protracted. The complete healing of a heel spur takes several years in most cases without adequate therapy.