Heel spurs: causes, symptoms and treatment

A person’s comfortable life consists of many factors, one of which is good health and well-being. But often even the smallest part of the body can bring wild inconvenience, which forces us to make adjustments to our lifestyle. Heel spur, or plantar fasciitis, is an inflammation of the tendon that connects the bones of the heel and the extreme phalanges of the fingers. The disease brings severe pain and discomfort when walking, sometimes a person can not even fully step on the foot. Today we’ll talk about the heel spur - what kind of disease it is, why it occurs, how it manifests itself and is treated.

Plantar Fasciitis

The name of the disease “Calcaneal Spur” was due to a characteristic x-ray. If you look at the foot from the side, you will notice a small hook on the heel. Many people mistakenly believe that the cause of the pain is precisely this hook, which cuts into the soft tissues when walking and thus causes pain. But in fact, in this part of the heel, the plantar tendon (ligament), called the fascia, is attached. On the other hand, the fascia is attached to the phalanges of the fingers. This ligament is necessary for depreciation - with the help of it a person can walk quietly, maintain balance, and spring when walking. This fascia allows you to form a healthy arch of the foot.

For various reasons, which we will talk about a little later, the tendon can be stretched. This leads to ruptures of small fibers and inflammation of the fissure, plantar fasciitis occurs. “Plantar” means plantar. With prolonged inflammation, part of the fissure becomes ossified due to calcium deposition, this leads to the formation of a characteristic hook, which is visible on the x-ray. We can say that the hook that we see in the picture is not the bone part of the heel, but the tendon hardened from calcination. It is very important to understand this in order to know the principles of heel spur treatment. Most often, women suffer from plantar fasciitis, this is due to hormonal changes in the body and other factors. But at a more advanced age, the heel spur also torments men.

Outwardly, the spur does not appear in any way, except that it gives a person very severe pain. Structural changes can only be seen in the x-ray. With severe inflammation and tearing of the fissure, hematomas and bruises can appear in the middle of the foot.

How to recognize the formation of a heel spur

The most important symptom is acute pain when pressing on the foot. Most often, pain occurs in the morning. This is due to the fact that tendons are somehow restored during the night, the microcracks heal. And in the morning, when you get out of bed, you again give the foot a heavy load, the fibers break again, bringing wild pain. Often patients complain of pain, they say, "As if stepping on a nail." The leg can hurt not only after sleep, but also after a long rest, being at rest. Sometimes a person is forced to carry a cane with him, in order to somehow reduce the load on his sore leg. It is noteworthy, but people with a heel spur simply can’t walk on a flat sole, while experiencing serious pain.

Why does plantar fasciitis develop?

Most often, the heel spur is formed against the background of other inflammatory processes of the musculoskeletal system. Here are some factors that can trigger the development of heel spurs.

1. Overweight. If a person is overweight, then the load on the arch of the foot increases several times, the fascia is stretched and injured.
2. Flat feet. With this diagnosis, a person does not have a healthy arch of the foot, because of this, the fascia is constantly in an extended and stressed state, this gradually leads to inflammation.
3. High heels. If a woman constantly wears high-heeled shoes, this creates a serious burden on the arch of the foot and tendon.
4. Hormones. Any hormonal imbalance in a woman’s body is accompanied by a change in the elasticity of ligaments and tendons. Calcaneal spur can occur against the background of pregnancy, lactation, menopause. Very often, fasciitis develops during the period of bearing a child - in this case, hormonal restructuring is accompanied by a sharp increase in the woman's weight. This gives an additional load on the arch of the foot. In many pregnant women, because of this, the size of the leg increases.
5. Injuries. Any injuries or bruises to the calcaneus or other parts of the foot can lead to inflammation of the ligaments.
6. Athletes. A large load on the plantar tendon often occurs in athletes, mainly athletes (runners) suffer from heel spurs.
7. Standing work. If, due to his professional activity, a person is forced to constantly be on his feet, the load on the tendon becomes daily, which leads to inflammation and rupture. At risk are hairdressers, teachers, cooks, waiters, etc.
8. Diseases Any disease associated with a violation of the bone structure or blood circulation in the tissues can lead to inflammation of the ligaments. This includes arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatism, curvature of the legs (valgus position), gout.

The disease is much more acute if several provoking factors are combined - for example, flat feet and excess weight. It is more difficult to treat plantar fasciitis in this case, but it is still possible.

Comprehensive treatment of heel spurs

If symptoms of fasciitis are detected, consult a doctor as soon as possible. This problem is addressed by a traumatologist, surgeon, orthopedist or just a therapist. Heel spur treatment is a set of measures aimed at relieving inflammation, reducing the load on the foot, and strengthening the tendon. However, before this, you should definitely make sure that the heel pain is caused precisely by a spur, and not by an injury or other disease.

1. Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs. They perfectly relieve inflammation, relieve acute pain, and restore damaged tissue. Among them are Nimesil, Diclofenac, Ketoprofen, Piroxicam, etc. In case of moderate pain, tablets can be taken, if the pain is acute and unbearable, it is better to be treated by injection.
2. Anesthetizing ointments. Local use of painkillers will help relieve inflammation very quickly, within 5-10 minutes after application. You can rub Diclofenac, Ketonal, Dolgit, Hydrocartisone, Indomethacin ointment into the inflamed areas.
3. Compress from Dimexidum. This is an excellent tool that quickly relieves pain and inflammation with bruises and sprains. Three tablespoons of the solution should be added to a glass of water and mix thoroughly. Apply any anesthetic ointment to the skin, rub for 10 minutes. After this, you need to moisten a piece of clean bandage in the prepared solution and apply to the inflamed areas of the foot. Cover with a film and put on a warm sock, leave a compress for 30-40 minutes.
4. Footwear. In complex treatment, you need to pay attention to correctly selected shoes. She should have a heel - about 5 cm. Men should also wear shoes with a small heel. The lack of a heel or its too high rise will make walking painful. You can buy special orthopedic insoles for heels. They have a rounded shape with a slight indentation in the center. This insole eliminates the compression of the inflamed fissure, which means it relieves pain.In general, it is better to wear orthopedic shoes - it fixes the foot in the correct position. Where orthopedic shoes are made, individual soft insoles can be ordered that fit into any shoes, hold the foot in the correct position and relieve pain from the heel spur.
5. Local blockade. In some cases, with severe inflammation, the doctor prescribes the patient topical use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. Often, one injection is enough to significantly improve the situation. In such treatment, Diprospan, Hydrocartisone or Kenalog are usually used.
6. Physiotherapy. These are various effects aimed at the destruction of the ossified part of the ligaments. That is, we try to get rid of the formed hook on the heel. It is possible to “crush” the ossified area using laser therapy, electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, and exposure to liquid nitrogen. It is very effective to use currents of various frequencies, it is useful to carry out the procedure with the Darsonval apparatus.
7. Massage. To make the ligaments more elastic and soft, they need to be kneaded. Do foot massage every day, preferably with painkillers and ointments. Tiger's eye ointment is very effective against calcaneal spurs. Before massage, legs should be pre-steamed in hot salt water. After the massage, take a rolling pin and gently tap it on the heel. So you can break and crush the ossified area of ​​the ligaments. But remember, you need to be moderate so that the pain is not very strong, and only after steaming and massage.
8. Teips. For anesthesia and fixation of the foot in a certain position, you can use special healing plasters, which are often called kenesio-teips. Tapping is usually carried out by athletes, so that at the height of the load, damaged ligaments and tendons do not stretch more than usual. The tape is fixed to the foot, starting from the side of the heel. It not only restrains the foot from excessive stretching, but also has a warming and anti-inflammatory effect. Teip can be worn for several days - the patch does not soak from moisture, dries quickly, does not deteriorate.
9. Special orthoses. These are devices that must be worn at night. They fix the foot in a certain position so that the ligament is slightly stretched. As a result, the fascia begins to overgrow and recover in an extended position, which increases its size. After awakening, you will step on your foot, but the ligament will not receive a sharp tension, which means that severe pain will also not arise. With prolonged wear for three months, the elastic fascia is completely restored from damage and inflammation.
10. Elastic bandage. If you want to get rid of the heel spur, and you do not have teips and special orthoses at hand, then you should use a simple elastic bandage. Wrap the heel carefully around them and lock the foot in the stretched position. To do this, connect the heel region with the phalanges of the fingers through the upper part of the foot with maximum tension. This will allow you to slightly stretch the fiction and not feel pain when getting up on your feet in the morning. In villages with a similar problem fought with boots. It was necessary to trim the toe of boots and sleep in such shoes all night. Of course, this is not very convenient, but it perfectly fixes the foot in the right position, in the morning you will not suffer from pain.
11. Warm patches. The pharmacy has a lot of different medicinal plasters based on elecampane, mustard, red pepper and aconite root. They stick to inflamed areas of the skin, perfectly warm, increase blood circulation and relieve inflammatory processes. Also on sale is a Solipod patch, which is designed to get rid of corns. With this patch, you can quickly and effectively get rid of the heel spur as well.
12. Contrast baths. The alternation of cold and hot exposure is very effective for the restoration of inflamed and damaged ligaments. You can set two basins in front of you - one with hot, the other with cold water. Lower your legs alternately in both containers, and after 10 minutes the pain will subside. You can also make dry contrasts. You will need helium insoles, which should be frozen in the refrigerator and heated slippers. Keep your legs alternately on insoles and slippers, the effect of the procedure will be noticeable immediately.

Heel spur is an unpleasant disease that does not have a quick cure. With an integrated approach, following all of the above recommendations, you can get rid of the problem in a few weeks. Another useful component of recovery is physical therapy.

Healing exercises against heel spurs

So that the ligament is not damaged, it should be gradually stretched and made more elastic. Special exercises will help you with this.

Sit on a chair and make circular movements with your socks, as if drawing with your finger in front of you a circle of maximum diameter. Repeat the exercise one way and the other with both feet. This is such a simple and effective exercise that it can be performed even in shoes at work - no one will notice anything.

Throw small objects on the floor - handkerchief, pen, ping-pong ball, spoon. Try to pick up and move objects with the toes of one and the second foot. This is a great exercise to train your fissure.

Stand barefoot on the floor straight, take one leg a little back. Standing on a supporting leg, move the toe up and down, resting on the floor alternately with the outer or the inner side of the toes. Repeat the exercise with one and the second leg. If you find it difficult to maintain balance, do the exercise near the wall, holding on to it with your hands.

In no case do exercises through pain. Classes should be comfortable and convenient, you should feel a slight tension of the ligaments.

In order to prevent further re-formation of the heel spur, special attention should be paid to prevention. Watch your weight, get rid of flat feet and diseases of the musculoskeletal system on time. Exercise regularly, even if your spur no longer bothers. Wear comfortable shoes, use special insoles, and massage regularly. If you often have to stand at work, look for opportunities to sit at least a few minutes every hour. Follow these simple recommendations, and acute heel pain will no longer bother you.

Video: heel spur treatment