Heel spurs need to be treated comprehensively. There are many treatment methods and a competent specialist will always advise his patient the most humane of them, which will give a positive effect.
They usually start by rubbing in ointments and gels that have an anti-inflammatory effect. They combine their use with physiotherapeutic methods (UHF, massage, magnetic therapy, ultrasound therapy). Be sure to use orthopedic insoles (heel pads) to unload the foot.
If the doctor has tried all conservative treatment methods, and the patient still suffers from heel pain, then another method is to treat heel spurs with injections, or drug blockade of the heel spur.
This treatment method is not so common. It gives the patient painful sensations and needs to be addressed. After all, when performing a heel spur blockade, a surgeon (orthopedic surgeon) injects into the most painful point on the heel. It hurts to touch it, not to mention inserting a sharp needle into this point. And, it should be noted that inserting a needle into the heel is not so easy; it will take longer than a regular injection into the thigh or buttock.
The advantages of drug blockades are that the anti-inflammatory drug is injected directly into the area of inflammation and therefore its effectiveness is very high. Basically, the following drugs are used for administration:
These medications have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect and help quickly eliminate the inflammatory process in the tissues surrounding the heel spur. As a result, the pain syndrome is quickly relieved. It is difficult to say how long the effect of such treatment will last. It is different for each patient. For some, one injection is enough, but most often two or three injections are required.
Injections for heel spurs should only be given by an experienced specialist. Does it seem difficult to inject medicine into the heel? In fact, when carrying out this procedure, everything is important: the amount of the drug administered, the depth of its administration, and the accuracy of its administration, therefore it is better to carry out this procedure under ultrasound control. The effectiveness of treatment directly depends on the quality of the drug blockade. A successfully performed procedure will delight the patient with the effect provided and will allow him to forget about heel pain for a long time. Unfortunately, mistakes can also happen, and then an incorrectly performed procedure will lead to the development of complications.
The most difficult complication is rupture of the plantar fascia. In addition, the effect of corticosteroid injections is rapid but temporary, and after a few weeks there is no difference in pain between patients who received a heel injection and those who used other treatments.
Therefore, the treatment of heel spurs with drug blocks cannot be recommended as first-line therapy, and the patient should be warned about the risk of plantar fascia rupture.
After reading the article, I was surprised by the description of the painful sensations from a prick in the heel. Nothing like this! A completely tolerable puncture, not very long lasting. There is no need to scare people in vain. I literally experienced this yesterday. In the morning I got up and realized that I could safely stand on my leg, and I didn’t have to walk around for the pain to go away.
Natalya, with pain, of course, everything is very individual, but the injection is given at the most painful point on the heel, so for many patients the sensations, to put it mildly, are not the most pleasant.
Corticosteroid injections have become widespread, mainly only in Russia. Since the effect of their use is transient, that is, temporary, and the risk is quite large. After about a month, there is usually not much difference in pain between patients who used corticosteroids and those who used other treatments. But after the injection there is a risk of rupture of the plantar fascia, and this is a very, so to speak, formidable complication that does not justify the use of injections in the heel. It is better to administer the drug using iontophoresis rather than an injection, that is, using a constant galvanic current, which will simultaneously give a physiotherapeutic effect. Then there will be no risk of rupture of the plantar fascia. But again, since the effect of corticosteroids is temporary, it has no advantages over other methods of treatment.
I have already been given three injections, but there is no use, not even relief. It turns out that the injections are not given correctly?
It turns out that they are obviously not helping you.
I live in Italy. I have been suffering from a heel spur for more than six months, I took an x-ray and went to see an orthopedic doctor... They gave me an injection... But not in the heel... But something in the ankle area... closer to the heel... It was painful, but tolerable... The doctor administered the medicine very slowly... it hurt the injection site took about three hours... But then it gradually went away... He said that one injection is enough... Now it doesn’t seem to hurt... I saw the doctor today... Let's see how it goes tomorrow...
Everything is great today... I can’t even believe it...
I did a blockade with dipropsan, it was tolerable, but it helped for 2 weeks
I also had a blockade done with Kenalog. For the first time I forgot about the pain for half a year. The second time it didn't help at all. I did it a third time a week ago, it seemed better. The surgeon said that if it hurts, then give a second injection in a week. I’m wondering whether it’s worth it or not, it seems to have become easier, but not completely. On the other hand, I read in an article about all sorts of consequences... And as for the pain of the injection itself, it’s quite tolerable.
This afternoon we also received an injection of Diprospan, first an injection of Ledocaine. Before this I was sick for 4 months. It seems to have gotten better in the evening... Let's see what happens tomorrow...
Today I had a Diprospan injection in my heel. I don’t know, of course, the pain is bearable, but we’ll see what happens in the future. Can I even walk today?
Today I got an injection with Kenalog in my heel, I howled. Such wild pain. They did it to the granny next to me, she didn’t even make a peep! Apparently this is individual! But the pain does not go away yet...
Thank you for the article. I'll try to give an injection.
My heel started to make itself felt a long time ago (about five years ago), but I didn’t think about seeing a doctor at all, because I didn’t attach much importance to this pain, I thought it would go away on its own. But the last six months have become completely unbearable and I decided to see a doctor. He sent me for an x-ray, which showed that I had a spur, on both legs, but on the left leg it was not as bad as on the right. The surgeon, looking at the picture, prescribed an injection of Diprospan and gave the injection the next day. It hurt, but more than when I just stepped on my foot with all my weight every time. My heel stopped hurting almost immediately, and my doctor scheduled a follow-up appointment in a week. During the week I walked quite a lot and felt practically no discomfort when walking, only periodically, in the evening I felt a little mild pain, but not at all as much as it was before. Yesterday I went to an appointment, he prescribed a repeat procedure for administering Diprospan. Today, I'll go for the second injection. For me, the injection, of course, turned out to be a quick solution to a pressing issue, but in my case, I really let myself go, naively hoping that everything would go away on its own, and now, at 23 years old, I felt like an old man whose legs hurt in bad weather. My advice is don’t let yourself down like I foolishly did! If the first signs of discomfort appear, consult a doctor immediately, regardless of age. Timely procedures could prevent a gradually growing problem, but if the disease starts, then you have to resort to more dangerous and painful treatment. Do not delay treatment and take care of your body, it is the most valuable thing that nature has given you for your entire life!
A heel spur is a bone growth in the form of a spike or wedge in the area of the plantar surface of the tubercle of the heel bone.
The clinical picture of a heel spur is typical and is characterized by burning sharp pain when resting on the heel, defined by patients as a feeling of “a nail in the heel.”
Clinical symptoms are caused primarily by changes in soft tissues: inflammation of deep mucous bursae and periostitis.
The pain is caused by the pressure of the bone growth on the inflamed soft tissue. Moreover, the intensity of pain does not depend on the size and shape of the growth: often large and sharp ones are not felt, but small and flat ones turn out to be very painful.
The fact is that with flat feet, the distribution of the load on the structures of the feet changes, overtension of the tendons occurs, and in especially severe cases, some tendon fibers even tear off from the underlying bones. As a result, not only the tendons themselves become inflamed, but the surface layer of bone tissue underneath them becomes inflamed.
In addition to flat feet, the causes of spur formation can be acute and chronic trauma to the heel bone, diseases associated with metabolic disorders (gout), as well as significant circulatory problems in the legs in people with poor vascular patency.
In addition, inflammation of the heel area is a consequence of a number of chronic inflammatory diseases of the joints: ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis, polyarthritis.
In all these cases, long-term and persistent treatment is required to combat the underlying disease. The participation of a doctor in solving this problem becomes mandatory.
And of course, do not self-medicate under any circumstances - contact a specialist who will determine the cause of the pain and diagnosis.
In this case, you need to consult a surgeon or orthopedist.
Heel spurs usually do not cause difficulties in diagnosis.
An experienced specialist is able to do this by carefully palpating the foot and listening to the patient’s complaints about the pain that is particularly characteristic in this case. Based on their description, the doctor determines that they are associated with a nascent spur, and not with something else.
An x-ray is taken to confirm the diagnosis.
However, X-ray examination reveals heel spurs in a large number of people who do not present any complaints. Therefore, the presence of an anatomical spur in itself does not mean a disease. Sometimes this is simply an individual characteristic of a person, characteristic specifically of his metabolism. Such a person lives normally, without experiencing discomfort or pain. Conversely, some patients with severe heel pain may not have any “spurs” on x-ray.
Treatment for heel spurs is conservative and depends on the cause of the disease.
There is no need to get rid of the spur itself. A set of therapeutic measures is recommended aimed at eliminating the inflammatory process.
The complex of conservative treatment includes:
— Therapeutic exercises and massage aimed at improving blood circulation.
— Physiotherapeutic procedures (laser therapy, magnetic therapy, ultraviolet irradiation, electrophoresis, ultrasound).
— The most important condition for the effectiveness of treatment is to ensure unloading of the painful area. For this purpose, individual orthopedic insoles are prescribed.
- For persistent pain, if there is no effect from the treatment, they resort to x-ray therapy.
— A new treatment method is shock wave therapy. However, not everyone can do it. People suffering from bleeding disorders, malignant neoplasms, and pregnant women are not allowed to undergo UVT. In our country, this procedure began to be practiced not so long ago, the first results are encouraging, but it is impossible to fully judge the effectiveness, since it is not yet possible to study long-term results, and they can be unpredictable.
If conservative treatment is ineffective, drug blockades are performed.
These drugs have a pronounced local anti-inflammatory effect, which leads to rapid subsidence of the local inflammatory process and relief of pain.
This procedure requires a lot of experience and knowledge, so it should only be carried out by a qualified specialist.
The choice of drug, its quantity, depth and accuracy of administration play a very important role. If everything is done correctly, the person will forget about his illness for several years. If a mistake was made, then no effect will occur, complications may even develop. This is, first of all, suppuration at the injection site, inflammation of the calf tendon, osteoporosis, necrosis (death) of tissue in the injection area. Frequent use may cause damage to the fascia or ligament.
That is why only an experienced specialist – a surgeon or orthopedist – should treat “spurs”.
In severe cases, when conservative treatment is unsuccessful and there is severe inflammatory and pain syndrome, surgical intervention is possible, but the indications for it are very limited.
Operating on a spur is a very thankless process, since the cause of its formation is not eliminated, but only the consequence.
That is why it is better to resort to surgical intervention as a last resort, when all other methods have proven ineffective.
In most cases, painful heel spurs can be cured without surgery.
Prevention should be aimed at preventing premature aging of the osteoarticular system:
• Fighting excess weight
• Active motor mode
• Avoid overloading the feet
• Timely and qualified treatment of diseases of the spine and joints
• Prevent the development and progression of flat feet
• Wearing orthopedic insoles for flat feet
• Wearing comfortable and physiological shoes
• If there are already minimal signs of heel spurs, carry out preventive courses of treatment using physiotherapeutic methods.
Despite the significant advances in the field of medicine with which humanity has entered the third millennium, many patients with this disease for some reason prefer to try the so-called “folk” methods.
Some people literally try to break bone growths with a rolling pin, a stick, someone walks on pebbles, etc.)
But despite the fact that there are a great many such “miraculous” folk recipes, most people with spurs have been treated for years completely unsuccessfully.
In all my medical practice, I have never seen a person who was cured of a “heel spur” by using any traditional method of treatment. But those “treated” with such folk methods had to register their disability.
However, if you feel pain in your heel while walking, consult a doctor rather than self-medicate.
A heel spur is a fairly common foot disease that causes discomfort and pain when walking and putting pressure on the heel. Many believe that this pain appears due to a specific bone growth that forms on the plantar side of the heel, which is where the trivial name of the disease came from. However, this growth, located at the junction of the heel and the ligaments of the foot or Achilles tendon, although pointed, is not the main cause of pain.
Statistics show that on average, about 10% of people experience heel pain, and most of them suffer from plantar fasciitis. In this regard, fasciitis is often called a heel spur, although studies show that the bone spur does not cause pain, and such growths are found in completely healthy people. Pain is caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, and the growth that appears in the body’s attempt to limit pressure on the heel is only a consequence of the disease.
Plantar fasciitis occurs due to frequent microtears of the plantar fascia, an elastic structure that connects the phalanges of the fingers and the heel bone. When there is too much stress on the longitudinal arch of the foot, the plantar fascia is stretched by tearing and subsequent healing during sleep. However, if fusion does not occur correctly or this process is repeated too often, non-infectious inflammation occurs, due to which the patient experiences severe pain when trying to stretch the foot every morning. Each time the patient has to re-tear the fascia - then it stretches and the pain subsides, although it may return during the day.
When the inflammatory process affects the surrounding soft and bone tissue, a typical reaction of bone tissue to a fracture occurs (during which non-infectious inflammation also appears) - proliferation. During a fracture, this is necessary for bone healing, but in the case of plantar fasciitis it leads to the formation of a so-called spur.
In connection with the above, a definition of a heel spur can be formed. A heel spur is an overgrowth of bone tissue due to inflammation of the plantar fascia, which occurs after injuries and a degenerative process in the connective ligaments of the longitudinal arch of the foot.
Factors causing heel spurs:
Excess weight, which increases the load on the arch of the foot;
Diseases of the connective tissues of the feet - flat feet, rheumatoid arthritis;
In older patients, fasciitis may occur due to ankylosing spondylitis (chronic bruising of the heel due to depletion of the fat pad);
Diseases of the vascular system;
Sports injuries of the ligamentous apparatus of the foot;
Shoes that are harmful to foot health, especially if the patient has standing work or other constant stress on the feet.
The first and main sign of plantar fasciitis is sharp pain in the heel area that occurs when trying to take a step after sleep. Pain tends to subside quickly after a few steps and gradually intensify towards the end of the day, which occurs due to an increase in the number of micro-tears.
Physiotherapy, medications, specialized exercises to develop the plantar fascia, orthopedic insoles, and night orthoses help avoid the feeling of acute pain in the heel bone, due to which patients limp or lose the ability to move normally if both feet are affected.
The spur-shaped bone growth is outwardly invisible, but clearly visible on x-rays.
This remedy has already helped many patients who have gone through several different types of treatment without noticeable results. The problem with most treatments and medications that modern medicine offers is that they are aimed at the heel spur itself or at blocking the nerves responsible for pain impulses. Folk remedies act more gently, but in the right direction - to eliminate inflammation of the plantar fascia.
So, to make a garlic compress, you need to take a few cloves of garlic. They need to be ground or pressed through a garlic press. Apply the resulting mixture to the area of pain and distribute it in a zone 2.5-3 centimeters from the epicenter. When the garlic mass is applied correctly, tightly bandage or wrap the foot in plastic wrap so as to fix it at a right angle to the leg.
You can go to bed with a garlic compress, or you can, if you wish and have free time, just lie quietly for about 4-6 hours. After this, you need to remove the compress and rinse the foot thoroughly with warm water.
! Be careful with the garlic paste on the thinner, more sensitive skin that starts on the sides of the feet and frames the heel. If it gets on it, strong garlic can cause a mild chemical burn, which can be easily stopped with panthenol or methyluracyl ointment. If the skin is too sensitive, it is better to first seal the skin around the place where the garlic mass should be localized with a special or simple plaster.
If a burning sensation appears even on the rough skin of the heel, reminiscent in nature of how compresses are baked from mustard plasters, you should immediately stop the procedure. The main goal of the procedure is only to apply garlic to the place where pain impulses occur.
The procedure must be performed every week for the first month, then the interval can be gradually increased to two weeks.
The effect is noticeable after the first procedure - the pain subsides to about half of its original state. At the same time, constant pain in the tendons cannot be avoided - for some time the connective tissues of the longitudinal arch of the foot will grow together in the correct position, and this period must be endured. After it comes complete recovery from the disease.
It is difficult to find a better medicine than dimexide for the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system among the available medicines. It is used to treat ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis and sprains, and plantar fasciitis is, in some ways, a related disease to these pathologies.
To cure a spur on the heel with dimexide, you need to take a tablespoon of this ointment, dilute it with boiled, cooled water in a ratio of 1 to 5 and wet a clean (preferably sterile) napkin with the resulting solution. It should be used as a compress - applied to the heel and covered with wax paper, then secured with a woolen sock.
A compress of dimexide is applied for only half an hour, but every day for one and a half to two weeks, after which a week's break is taken and the course is repeated if necessary.
An alcohol solution of iodine is deservedly considered one of the best antiseptics, and it is used not only for the purpose of disinfecting wounds. Various beneficial properties allow this remedy to be used against inflammation and stagnant pathologies. Therefore, its use in the treatment of heel spurs is relevant.
In some cases, pain from inflammation of the plantar fascia can be relieved through several applications of a simple iodine network, although this is only possible in the early stages of the disease. To eliminate pain with more aggravated fasciitis, it is necessary to use special folk recipes in which iodine is the main healing component.
Such a recipe is, for example, five-day applications with iodine, honey and salt. In order to prepare a mixture for applications, take a 50-gram bottle of iodine, a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of salt (it is better to take finely ground salt so that it dissolves better during preparation facilities).
Slowly mix all the ingredients into a homogeneous mass, then place it in a small four-layer piece of gauze. If the mixture is prepared in advance, you can store it in the refrigerator;
It is best to perform the procedure at night. Before applying the application, the foot is soaked in low temperature water (45-55 degrees);
The therapeutic mass is applied to the sore heel and is well fixed with a bandage;
To speed up the penetration of beneficial substances and their action, you need to increase the temperature of the compress by wrapping it in polyethylene and putting on a wool sock.
After waking up, the application cannot be removed for another 15-20 minutes, i.e. you need to walk around the house in it and stretch your leg;
Remove the application, rinse your foot with warm water and begin your daily activities.
Applications with iodine, honey and salt should be carried out in a course of 5 days in a row.
Bile has long been used to treat problems of the musculoskeletal system, so the reliability of this remedy does not need to be tested.
To cure plantar fasciitis with the help of bile, you need to apply a compress of this drug on a gauze bandage every day for the whole day. When changing the compress, you need to wash your foot and keep it bare for about half an hour to avoid diaper rash.
The course of using medical bile is from 1 to 2 months. If no visible effect is found, another remedy must be used.
Orthopedic insoles are one of the mandatory measures when plantar fasciitis is detected, since, technically, the cause of constant micro-tears of the ligaments is the incorrect distribution of the load on the foot or its complete overload. In any case, specially shaped insoles will significantly reduce pain and allow the patient to move normally.
Insoles need to be selected or ordered together with an orthopedist, since it is necessary to take into account weight, size, anatomical nuances and the severity of the disease. For heel spurs, low-heeled shoes are used for insoles, since the pressure needs to be redistributed to the forefoot. For this, an additional heel support can be used. The alignment of the longitudinal arch of the foot absorbs sudden steps and stretches the muscles and ligaments.
Insoles and heel pads can be made of different materials - synthetic (gel, silicone, artificial leather) or natural (felt, cork). Natural orthotics are usually more expensive because they allow the foot to breathe and adapt better to its shape.
Various NSAIDs are necessary to provide anti-inflammatory effects and local anesthetic effects. Among these drugs found to be effective:
From the new generation of NSAIDs:
For plantar fasciitis, these drugs should be rubbed into the heel three to four times a day until completely absorbed for two weeks.
Remedies against heel spurs, which are classified as dietary supplements, really help to increase capillary blood flow, relieve pain and complete the inflammatory process. The medications presented below are used in the same way - rubbed into the pain localization point several times a day, the course lasts from two weeks to a month.
Eye of the Tiger. A natural product based on beeswax, glycerin, castor oil and essential oils of lemon, juniper and burdock. Perfectly soothes the inflammatory process, warms the affected area and increases blood microcirculation in the skin, muscles and ligaments in the area of action. Significantly increases the effectiveness of orthopedic insoles and increases the comfort of wearing them.
Pyatkashpor. This cream-gel helps relax tense foot muscles and eliminates pain, which has a positive effect on limb mobility. Contains emu oil, propolis extract, glycerin, apple cider vinegar.
Shark oil. Potent cream with extract of shark oil, golden mustache, sea salt, honey, propolis and other active natural organic ingredients. Rub in no more than twice a day, then wrap in a warm cloth for one hour.
A convenient remedy for relieving pain from plantar fasciitis. The active substance on the inner surface of the patch, containing active plant (monkshood, gentian macrophylla, Chinese angelica) and inorganic components (magnetic powder), eliminates pain and stimulates blood circulation, which accelerates the healing of ligaments and calms the inflammatory process.
The patch can only be applied to clean, undamaged skin. The patch is applied to the painful part of the heel for a period of 24 to 72 hours, after which the procedure is repeated only after five to six days. In general, approximately 12-16 applications are needed to treat a heel spur. Considering that there are 8 patches in one package, two packages are enough to carry out a full course of applications.
“Zorka” and “Forest Power” are preparations based on an effective formula based on natural plant raw materials “Floralizin”. You should not be afraid that Zorka cream is registered as a veterinary product - this means that it contains potent substances that really noticeably affect the rate of healing of damage, both on the surface of the skin and under it. The universal regenerating cream “Zorka” has platinum and gold state quality awards. Its analogue, developed and clinically tested for humans, “Forest Power”, differs mainly only in price.
If conservative methods do not bring the expected effect, in many cases a drug blockade of the heel spur is recommended. This operation is performed by an orthopedic surgeon who injects an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medication directly into the area of inflammation of the plantar fascia.
Among the drugs that are used to block heel spurs, the most common are:
These are hormonal drugs from the group of glucocorticosteroids or having gluco- and mineralocorticosteroid activity. Thanks to direct administration, they very quickly stop the inflammatory process in the connective tissues of the foot and completely eliminate pain.
The main disadvantages of this procedure:
Elimination of pain occurs temporarily, and it is not known exactly when it may return; in some cases, two or even three injections in the heel are required;
If there is an error in the technology of the procedure, there is a risk of complications: purulent inflammation, osteoporosis, necrosis or destruction of the plantar fascia.
Because of these risks, heel spur injection is not considered a first-line treatment for plantar fasciitis.
But besides this, there are also local anesthetic drugs to eliminate pain - Novocaine 0.25-0.5% (Novocaine Bufus, Procaine hydrochloride, Novocaine Vial). The heel spur is pricked with a solution of the drug 1-2 times a day during the acute period.
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Various hot baths: radon, mud, mineral, paraffin. Improves cell nutrition and the speed of their recovery (10-20 minutes, 7-10 procedures).
Massage. Develops muscles and ligaments, promotes the removal of salts and accelerates blood flow (20-30 minutes 10-14 procedures).
Vibroacoustic treatment of the spur using the Vitafon apparatus. Improves lymph outflow, promotes restoration of the cellular structure of the fascia and its speedy fusion in the correct position (40 minutes 10 procedures).
Electrophoresis of anesthetic drugs. Has an analgesic effect (5-10 procedures).
Ultrasound therapy. Relieves muscle spasms, accelerates metabolism (5-10 minutes 15 procedures).
Laser therapy. Stimulates blood circulation in the area of inflammation, relieves pain (3-5 minutes, 7-10 procedures).
Shock wave therapy. Destroys osteophytes and salt deposits, from which a spur is formed (Individually (from 1 to 3-5 procedures)).
Gymnastic exercises with a ball and fine motor skills of the toes. Gradually and gently develops the ligaments of the longitudinal arch of the foot (15-20 minutes, 2-3 approaches per day, 1-2 months)
Surgery is the last resort for treating heel spurs. It involves removing the growth by excision to free the nerves pinched during the growth of bone tissue.
Among the first-line treatment methods for plantar fasciitis (that is, those recognized as effective and mandatory), physical therapy ranks first along with night orthoses and taping.
Special exercises are aimed primarily at stretching the ligaments of the longitudinal arch of the foot. With gradual and regular exercise, this helps strengthen the plantar fascia, which acquires better elasticity, which reduces daily pain and reduces the possibility of inflammation in the future.
Exercise 1. Rest your palms against the wall and place your feet in line, one after the other, placing the foot with the heel spur behind the healthy one. Slowly lower yourself without lifting your heels off the floor until you feel a painful stretch in the Achilles tendon of your affected leg. You should freeze in this position for a few seconds, then rise to the starting position. Repeat 5-10 times.
Exercise 2. It is even easier to warm up the muscles without squats using an elevation - a stand or step. You also need to rest your palms on the wall or on the railing, stand on an elevation so that your heels hang down, and slowly lean towards the wall until the ligaments of the sore leg are stretched. When the tension reaches the limit beyond which pain begins to be felt, you need to freeze for 15 seconds, and then also slowly push back from the wall.
Exercise 3. Take a tennis ball, or other round or cylindrical object of small diameter. Just place it under the sore foot and roll, pressing lightly, along the entire longitudinal arch of the foot. If you feel pain, you can use a small bottle of cold water to provide cooling relief for the pain.
Exercise 4. A very fun and useful exercise for developing the muscles of the foot. It is known that plantar fasciitis can be caused by the heels falling inwards, which can be seen in the way the heels or backs of the shoes are worn down. This quite common phenomenon increases the tension of the fascia, which increases the risk of microtrauma to the ligaments. Therefore, do not be lazy to do this exercise every day: scatter a bunch of different small objects – keys, coins, balls, pens and other small things – over a small area; then collect them with your toes and place them in a prepared jar. In the same regard, an exercise for the motor skills of the toes: place a piece of fabric (towel, T-shirt) on the floor and fold it as neatly as possible using only your feet.
Exercise 5. You need to complete the plantar fascia training with an exercise for extreme anterior bending of the foot. In a sitting position, take your sore leg with both hands or a strong athletic tape and pull it towards your body, bending the foot as much as possible with the toe towards you. In the extreme position, freeze for 15 seconds, then relax. After ten repetitions, you can finish the workout.
When all the exercises to develop the ligaments have been completed, it is recommended to secure the stretched plantar fascia in an elongated position for the foot with a heel spur. This is easy and quick to do with the help of a special sports elastic band - tape, which is why the procedure is called “taping”.
A regular adhesive plaster may be suitable for taping, although its use requires ether to pre-treat the skin and special scissors with blunt ends to remove it.
One of the common taping methods is presented in the table:
In order to prevent daily ruptures of the ligaments that have grown together overnight, you need to ensure that the foot is positioned at a right angle during the night. Since in the absence of any clamps during sleep the foot bends, the plantar fascia ends up in a shortened position, which means it fuses with shortening, which provokes new ruptures when trying to restore full mobility of the limb.
An orthosis, or brace, is a kind of hard cover that fixes the foot exactly at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the lower leg. When using it, morning pain is significantly reduced until it disappears completely, since the ligaments grow together correctly.
If it is not possible to purchase night orthoses, you can tie the toe of the foot to the ankle with a strap, or wear hard fixing shoes (felt boots) at night.
It is worth noting that if preventive measures are taken to prevent plantar fasciitis, this disease is treated in the early stages, even if it was not previously identified.
Necessary conditions for the prevention of heel spurs are:
Regular training of the muscular-ligamentous apparatus;
Development of joints and prevention of salt deposits;
Refusal of uncomfortable shoes, if necessary - lining of orthopedic insoles;
Careful behavior in terms of stress on the feet - do not walk too much if you are overweight, refuse extreme sports, travel with overcoming obstacles;
Attendance at preventive massage and various physiotherapy procedures;
If you have diseases of the musculoskeletal system (flat feet, rheumatoid arthritis, problems with the spine, etc.), cure them as quickly as possible.
Heel spurs are a common condition that can affect anyone.
It does not pose a serious threat to human health, but it does cause a lot of trouble. First of all, it is necessary to determine what a heel spur is, the symptoms and treatment of which have their own characteristics. There are many factors that can cause the disease, as well as a huge number of treatment methods that can be carried out at home.
A heel spur is a specific bone growth that has the shape of a spike. It may also appear as an osteophyte where the ligaments attach to the foot. As a rule, the disease is a consequence of metabolic disorders. But there are other reasons for the formation of spurs. For example, overexertion of the lower extremities or flat feet. A heel spur resembles the shape of a nail, as it has a head, a long shaft and a root.
In most cases, there are no external signs of a spur, but a person may experience severe pain when walking. The maximum degree of pain is felt in the morning, when the patient begins to move. During the day, the painful sensations stop, but in the evening they intensify again. As a heel spur progresses, the pain becomes chronic and constant. The formation of a spur on the foot can be detected using an x-ray.
Symptoms of heel spurs are a signal to begin treatment, since the disease in its progressive form can lead to disastrous consequences. For example, a spur on the heel in people with diabetes can lead to gangrene. And the only way out of this situation is amputation of the affected limb.
The main symptom of the disease is sharp pain in the foot with increased loads. This pain is compared to when a person steps on a sharp object. For example, a nail or a sewing needle. Over time, the pain becomes more acute and accompanies the person constantly. People who have spurs on their feet relieve pain with the help of crutches. But in this case, the entire body weight transfers to the toe of the foot.
In order not to get sick with an unpleasant disease, you need to know the causes of spurs on the heels. In 90% of cases, the disease appears due to flat feet. Since this disease changes the degree of load on the bone, muscle tissue and tendons of the foot. In severe, progressive forms of flatfoot, inflammation begins to develop in the tissues, which leads to acute pain.
People of certain professions and a certain constitutional type are predisposed to the appearance of spurs. For example:
Often the disease manifests itself in patients who have joint damage and disorders of the spinal column.
To avoid getting sick, you must:
If the first signs of a heel spur appear, then preventive or therapeutic procedures should be carried out. To prescribe effective treatment, you can contact your local physician.
Preventative measures can prevent the appearance or development of progressive forms of heel spurs. Treatment of heel spurs is carried out using expensive procedures and medications, so it is better to carry out preventive procedures than to spend a large amount of money on expensive medications.
Today, there are several ways to treat spurs on the foot. The most effective and efficient treatment is medication prescribed by the attending physician. The second method of treatment is folk remedies that can be used at home.
Heel spurs require complex treatment, which includes:
Treatment of the disease begins with unloading the affected limb and eliminating the load on the foot. Facilitating measures allow for more effective treatment. When a complex form is observed, bed rest is required, compliance with which is mandatory. In most cases, doctors advise limiting the load. For example, reduce the time period for walking, do not stand for a long time, and exclude strenuous physical activity.
To relieve pain when walking, you can use orthopedic shoes and insoles that fix the foot and distribute the load. In some cases, you can resort to crutches, a cane or a stick. Such measures eliminate pain, but not the source of the disease itself.
Conservative treatment methods for heel spurs are most often used. They are used for external use. Medicinal ointments have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. These include:
They are applied as follows: the ointment is rubbed into the affected area of the foot until completely absorbed. As a rule, the duration of their use is 2 weeks. It is necessary to use the ointment 3-4 times a day.
drug treatment for heel spurs
Another type of medications that are prescribed to eliminate heel spurs are anti-inflammatory, irritating agents. They relieve pain, activate metabolic processes and reduce inflammation. Such drugs include Dimexide. The method of using the gel has several features, including:
You can buy Dimexide gel at any pharmacy without a doctor's prescription. It is a very effective remedy that can relieve a patient from heel spurs in a short time.
The list of drugs that treat the cause and source of the disease includes:
If you do not know how to treat a heel spur with medication, then contacting a therapist will help you begin a course of effective treatment. A qualified doctor will help determine the cause of the disease and select the most rapid method of treatment.
Along with medications, folk remedies that can easily be prepared at home yourself are excellent for treating heel spurs. Many people resort to treatment with folk remedies in cases where traditional methods of treatment are powerless. For example, ultrasound treatment did not help, and the spur began to progress.
The most popular way to treat a spur is to use heated alcohol. It has been used for several decades and has positive effects. The procedure is carried out as follows: the affected feet must be placed in a small container of alcohol. You need to keep them for at least 20 minutes.
Alcohol is poured into a frying pan and heated over low heat. It is very important to follow safety precautions and precautions. Alcohol is a flammable substance that ignites quickly. After the procedure, alcohol is not washed off your feet. This procedure relieves a person from pain for a long time.
Treatment of heel spurs with folk remedies is economical and accessible to everyone. An effective way is to treat with:
The use of dough and honey is carried out as follows: the affected foot is smeared with honey, after which the dough is applied. The foot is wrapped in a plastic bag and a wool sock is put on, which creates a vacuum. The compress cannot be removed for 2-3 days, so it is advisable to carry out this procedure on weekends. The result is noticeable within one month, and the spur goes away within 2 months after the start of the procedures.
Treatment of heel spurs with folk remedies
Laundry soap is a universal remedy for curing many diseases, including heel spurs. The soap should be grated on a fine grater and melted over low heat or a water bath. Then the resulting mass must be applied to the spur on the heel. The compress is done before bedtime so that the soap has an effect throughout the night. For best results, it is advisable to carry out the procedure daily.
Treating spurs with massage is the most accessible folk method. Massage helps when the patient has tried many other methods, but they have not had the desired result. The procedure is carried out every day before bedtime. You can massage using an old felt boot. The patient should sit down and rub his feet on felt boots for about 1.5-2 hours without a break. Within one month, the disease disappears without a trace.
If you want to know how to treat heel spurs quickly, effectively and with minimal financial loss, then nettle meets all these requirements. The medicinal plant relieves pain when walking for a long time. Nettle helps even with large spurs of 1-1.5 cm.
Nettle in the fight against heel spurs
The product is prepared in this way: the nettle must be passed through a meat grinder or crushed in a blender. The resulting product is evenly distributed on a burdock leaf and applied to the sore area of the foot. The compress is fixed with a bandage or elastic band.
A nettle compress is applied at night before bed to ensure maximum rest for the foot. But some people leave it on all day. After 2 weeks of regular procedures, the patient may notice a positive result of the treatment.
It is advisable to collect nettle for medicinal procedures in the spring, when its healing properties are at their highest level. This remedy can also be used for arthritis of the joints, as it reduces or completely eliminates pain.
Don’t know how to treat heel spurs, when the pain when walking becomes unbearable, and every step brings only agony? In this case, a folk remedy made from chicken eggs, butter and vinegar can help.
heel spur treatment
Preparing the medicinal mass takes only a couple of minutes, and its ingredients are found in almost every home. The product is prepared as follows:
The medicinal mass should be applied to gauze or bandage in several layers. Then the compress is applied to the foot and socks are put on. Maximum results are achieved with daily use of the product. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, which becomes soft and tender.
The only drawback of the product is the possibility of peeling of the skin on the feet, which can cause discomfort and discomfort. To prevent an unpleasant consequence, use of the compress should be stopped for several days.
Heel spur block - description of injection treatment. Heel spurs need to be treated comprehensively.
Targeted injections for heel spurs require a highly qualified surgeon. Their effectiveness is maximum when the pharmaceutical drug precisely hits the area of inflammation.. Heel spur. rub the selected area into the affected area once a day
medicine is a must.
There are many treatment methods and a competent specialist will always advise his patient the most humane of them, which will give a positive effect. They usually start by rubbing in ointments and gels that have an anti-inflammatory effect. They combine their use with physiotherapeutic methods (UHF, massage, magnetic therapy, ultrasound therapy).
Be sure to use orthopedic insoles (heel pads) to unload the foot. If the doctor has tried all conservative treatment methods, and the patient still suffers from heel pain, then another method is to treat heel spurs with injections, or drug blockade of the heel spur. This treatment method is not so common. It gives the patient painful sensations and needs to be addressed. After all, when performing a heel spur blockade, a surgeon (orthopedic surgeon) injects into the most painful point on the heel. It hurts to touch it, not to mention inserting a sharp needle into this point.
Treatment of heel spurs by injecting steroids is dangerous due to possible complications. Steroid injections are effective in treating heel spurs, but are more likely to develop complications. Traditional medicine recipes against heel spurs. - Steam your feet in a little hot water. I’m not forcing this on anyone, but I forgot about Spurs for three years. Injections help only once. Physiotherapy also did not give results, but on the contrary, the pain intensified... And technical lubricant-solidol helped me with heel spurs. Steam my legs at night, spread grease, wrap them in compression paper, put on socks and leave them on all night. Wash them off in the morning, that’s all it will do not easy. Repeat the procedure 5-6 times. It helped me and my friends too..
And, it should be noted that inserting a needle into the heel is not so easy; it will take more time than a regular injection into the thigh or buttock. Advantages of drug blockade. The advantages of drug blockades are that the anti-inflammatory drug is injected directly into the area of inflammation and therefore its effectiveness is very high. Basically, the following drugs are used for administration: Diprospan is a drug that has glucocorticosteroid and mineralocorticosteroid activity. Kenalog is a drug from the group of glucocorticosteroid hormones. Hydrocortisone is a hormone of the adrenal cortex (glucocorticosteroid). These medications have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect and help quickly eliminate the inflammatory process in the tissues surrounding the heel spur.
As a result, the pain syndrome is quickly relieved. It is difficult to say how long the effect of such treatment will last. It is different for each patient. For some, one injection is enough, but most often two or three injections are required. A new look at the treatment of heel spurs. How to get rid of heel pain in 2 weeks?
Next.. Injections for heel spurs should only be given by an experienced specialist. Does it seem difficult to inject medicine into the heel? In fact, when carrying out this procedure, everything is important: the amount of the drug administered, the depth of its administration, and the accuracy of its administration, therefore it is better to carry out this procedure under ultrasound control. The effectiveness of treatment directly depends on the quality of the drug blockade. A successfully performed procedure will delight the patient with the effect provided and will allow him to forget about heel pain for a long time.
Unfortunately, mistakes can also happen, and then an incorrectly performed procedure will lead to the development of complications. Complications: purulent inflammation at the injection site, inflammation of the calf muscle tendon, osteoporosis at the injection site, tissue necrosis at the injection site, destruction of the plantar fascia.
The most difficult complication is rupture of the plantar fascia. In addition, the effect of corticosteroid injections is rapid but temporary, and after a few weeks there is no difference in pain between patients who received a heel injection and those who used other treatments. Therefore, the treatment of heel spurs with drug blocks cannot be recommended as first-line therapy, and the patient should be warned about the risk of plantar fascia rupture.