A heel spur, or plantar fasciitis, is a painful formation where ligaments attach to the foot. Spine-like growth of bones gives a person excruciating pain when putting weight on the legs. Corns and skin growths appear.
A heel spur is a dangerous symptom accompanied by an inflammatory process. Osteophyte occurs for several reasons. At the first signs of changes in the heel bone, a course of preventive treatment is required.
Many people, especially the elderly, suffer from sharp pain in the heel, reminiscent of a prick with a sharp object. After 50 years, joints are susceptible to pathological processes, bones become more deformed.
In recent years, the disease has been increasingly diagnosed in young women. The culprit is high heels, fashionable but uncomfortable shoes.
Health is often neglected when it comes to beauty. The result is a deterioration in the condition of the musculoskeletal system, joint deformation, corns, and other misfortunes.
Leads to the development of heel spurs:
A heel spur is a dangerous phenomenon accompanied by an inflammatory process. Plantar fasciitis rarely occurs as an independent disease. Pathological changes in the heel bone are observed in some joint diseases, such as arthritis. Despite its modest size - from 3 to 12 mm, the growth causes pain in the heel area, corns and growths appear on the skin. (Read about foot spines on this page).
How to recognize a spur on your heels? Remember the signs:
The doctor determines the presence of a growth by palpation. Mandatory conversation with the patient to clarify the time of day when symptoms appear. It is important to find out the intensity of pain.
In most cases, the following is prescribed:
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The search for the cause of the pathology determines the further course of therapy. Identification of underlying diseases requires their treatment. In many cases, sharp pain is caused not by the formation of a spiky shape, but by inflammation inside the heel.
How to get rid of spurs on the heel? Treatment methods:
Many people rely on homemade recipes. It is impossible to cure heel spurs with folk remedies alone. The inflammation will gradually go away, the pain will subside, but achieving results will take a lot of time.
How to cure a spur on the heel at home using folk remedies? Doctors recommend a combination of basic and traditional treatment. Baths, compresses, dry heat will bring relief.
Important! Natural ingredients work well in the early stages of the disease. Advanced cases require the application of potent anti-inflammatory ointments.
The natural solution is effective in the treatment of many diseases. For heel spurs, the product relieves inflammation well. Minerals and trace elements penetrate deep into the tissues and have a beneficial effect on the skin of the feet.
How to make a compress with bischofite:
The healing properties of this natural remedy have been known for a long time. Compresses with propolis relieve pain and prevent relapses of the inflammatory process.
River or sea sand
If possible, go to the river or sea, take longer “sand baths”. The heat is retained perfectly, the legs warm up “to the bones”.
In moments of exacerbation, keep sand on hand. You can bring it from a trip out of town or buy it at a pet store. Warm your feet before going to bed, the pain will ease.
In some cases, all the proposed methods do not bring noticeable relief, the attending physician suggests surgery. This way you can stop a pronounced inflammatory process.
Note! Surgical intervention is recommended when inflammation progresses and pain intensifies.
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Therapy for heel spurs is a labor-intensive, lengthy process. It’s easier to follow simple rules and not worry about the condition of your bones, skin and joints.
Below is a medical video - a guide from which you can learn a few more tips for treating heel spurs:
In the human musculoskeletal system, fascia plays a rather important role - a connective tissue membrane that forms unique cases for various muscle groups. Translated from Latin, the term fascia is translated as bandage, which quite accurately conveys its essence.
There are quite a few groups of fascia in the human body, but we will turn our attention to the plantar fascia, or rather to a fairly common disease associated with it - plantar fasciitis. This phrase will become a completely new term for many, but this disease has a more common popular name - heel spur, notorious to many, especially those who have overcome the 40-year mark.
The pathogenesis of heel spurs is quite complex. The main function of the plantar fascia is to support the longitudinal arch of the foot. Despite its modest size in comparison with the human body, in a standing position, about half the body weight is applied to it. That is, most of the time this fascia is under serious load. It is not surprising that the functioning of the plantar fascia is accompanied by constant microtears, which in a healthy state heal during rest.
But under certain conditions, regression of microtears does not occur properly, which leads to the occurrence of chronic aseptic inflammation, accompanied by quite noticeable pain. The body reacts to such a deviation by the appearance of marginal bone growths, which are called heel spurs because of their characteristic shape, which is quite clearly visible on x-rays.
Almost everyone is susceptible to the occurrence of plantar fasciitis and the further appearance of external bone growths on the heel. The list of prerequisites for the development of this problem is quite wide and everyone will find some of them in their lifestyle.
But at the age of up to 35-40 years, when such problems have not yet been observed, it is worth studying the following list very carefully in order to try to minimize the risk of this unpleasant disease.
The symptoms of plantar fasciitis, followed by the development of a heel spur, are quite bright and clearly defined. First of all, a person begins to experience pain in the heel area, which noticeably intensifies immediately after waking up and starting physical activity, as well as during physical activity. Secondly, a bone growth on the heel causes roughness and redness of the skin in this area, which is very clearly visualized.
These signs alone are the reason for consultation with a traumatologist, who prescribes an X-ray examination for diagnosis. The photographs clearly show heel spurs and in this case there cannot be a multi-valued interpretation.
Modern medicine does not offer effective ways to get rid of this problem. You cannot get rid of a bone growth on your heel. But at the same time, you can live with it quite comfortably, using a number of medications and traditional treatments that make walking easier and relieve pain, as well as procedures and devices to reduce the sensitivity of heel spurs. Let's look at them in separate groups.
When a heel spur is detected, doctors in most cases prescribe topical medications for external use - various creams, gels and patches. The most popular among them are:
Also, in the treatment of heel spurs with severe pain, local anesthetic drugs are used. The most commonly prescribed novocaine blockades are injection of the heel with Novocaine, or glucocorticosteroids, the injection of which is injected into the place with the greatest pain.
To relieve the symptoms of plantar fasciitis, doctors recommend a number of procedures aimed at relieving pain, swelling, inflammation and accelerating the regeneration of skin tissue. For their complex use, the ideal option is a resort holiday in specialized sanatoriums, where procedures can be carried out in the absence of physical activity.
Ultrasound therapy. A set of 15 five-minute sessions helps relieve spasm in the problem area, and also stimulates metabolic and recovery processes.
Baths with various minerals. They improve cellular nutrition processes that ensure the vital activity of tissue and organ cells. In most cases, such baths are prescribed for 10 20-minute sessions.
Laser therapy. This effect on the heel spur increases local blood circulation and reduces pain symptoms. Complex laser treatment involves 10 five-minute procedures.
Therapeutic gymnastics, which we will consider in detail below.
Photo: Josep Curto/Shutterstock.com
Gymnastics for plantar fasciitis is aimed primarily at eliminating problems with the plantar fascia. Thanks to a set of exercises, this tissue becomes more elastic, which removes the load from the heel, reducing the discomfort from heel spurs to a fairly serious level. Here are some examples of the most effective exercises:
In fact, there are many more exercises aimed at improving the functioning of the plantar fascia. But even these four will soon show good effect in reducing the symptoms of heel spurs.
Braces or orthoses to support the foot at night. By wearing them on the foot while you sleep, micro-tears in the plantar fascia heal in a non-compressed position, which allows them to be minimized the next day. For night orthoses, which are quite expensive, you can use felt boots or a thick sock, the tip of which is tied with a ribbon to the popliteal part of the leg. The main thing is that the angle between the foot and lower leg at night should be as close as possible to 90 degrees.
Orthopedic insoles and heel pads. These devices secure the foot in the correct position in the shoe, reducing stress on the plantar fascia and minimizing micro-tears. Both insoles and heel pads are made from special gel, silicone, felt, which, in addition to their orthopedic function, provide free access of air to the foot. The main thing when choosing these devices is the correct size. Therefore, you should purchase such insoles and heel supports only on the recommendation of a doctor.
Adhesive tape for taping. This process is also intended to ensure proper support of the foot, especially after performing physical therapy exercises. Taping involves properly wrapping the foot with tape, which prevents it from bending and unbending excessively. This fixation procedure is quite complex from the technical side of execution, so it is worth contacting a specialist for the first time, who is often a doctor or nurse.
The problem of plantar fasciitis has been known for a long time. And in folk medicine, many effective methods have been developed to relieve the symptoms of this disease and facilitate its course. Considering that heel spurs are diagnosed, according to statistics, in almost every tenth woman over 40 years of age, folk methods for treating heel spurs are known to many of our grandmothers.
One of the easiest ways to relieve pain from a heel spur is to immerse your foot in hot sand. The easiest way to do this is on the seashore, combining a pleasant holiday with therapeutic procedures. If this is not possible, then river sand can be heated in the oven and, placing a baking sheet on the floor, lower your feet into it. This will not only reduce pain, but also slow down inflammatory processes.
Medical alcohol also helps with heel spurs. It is heated to a temperature of 45 degrees and the sore leg is dipped in a container of alcohol for 15 minutes. This technique relieves inflammation and disinfects the treated area.
Propolis is used for plantar fasciitis. A piece of propolis is slightly heated and a plate is formed according to the size of the heel, applying it to the sore spot. It is secured on top with a sock or cloth bandage and left overnight. Flatbreads made from specially prepared dough are also effective for heel spurs. To make it you need to take vegetable oil and turpentine in equal quantities, as well as any flour. After kneading a tight dough, we make several cakes out of it, and one at a time, apply them to the heel overnight. Cover the top of the foot with a plastic bag and a warm sock, leaving it overnight. We repeat the procedure for five days. This method cannot be used by people with heart problems.
In general, the number of ways to treat heel spurs at home is in the dozens. And everyone who is familiar with this problem must choose for themselves how to treat a spur on the heel specifically for them. But the main thing is that heel spurs should not just be tolerated. You can live comfortably with her if you organize the right treatment.
One of the most common causes of foot pain is a heel spur, and this disease can lead to long-term disability and even disability. Knowledge of the causes and conditions for the occurrence of heel spurs allows us to determine the most effective method of treatment. After all, it is necessary to eliminate the cause of the disease, and not just treat its symptoms . Only in this case can you expect that the disease will not return after the next course of treatment.
Author of the article: Candidate of Medical Sciences, orthopedist-traumatologist Akimov G.V.
Military Medical Academy named after. CM. Kirov, St. Petersburg
A heel spur is an inflammation of the fascia on the plantar side of the foot. In medicine, this disease is usually called plantar (plantar) fasciitis.
The plantar fascia is a powerful connective tissue plate that stretches from the top of the heel bone (tubercle) across the entire sole over the muscles and is attached by four rays to the metatarsal bones of the toes. The fascia is in a taut state, like a bowstring, and supports the longitudinal arch of the foot, regulating the load on the leg when walking. It protects the moving bones and joints of the foot from injury and damage. Half of a person's body weight falls on the heel area and puts stress on the plantar fascia.
Due to excessive stress on this area, microtraumas of the fascia may occur, mainly at the site of its attachment to the heel bone. In a healthy body (especially in young people), these microdamages heal unnoticed. If the body does not have time to restore the tissue of the plantar fascia in a timely manner, it starts an inflammatory aseptic (microbial-free) process. Swelling and pain occur.
When heel pain occurs, the “spur” itself (bone growth) may not yet be there. Pain initially occurs due to the inflammatory response in the surrounding soft tissue and the process of destruction of the plantar fascia.
The cells of the plantar fascia are rich in calcium, and in case of their extensive death (mainly in the area of the heel tubercle, where the greatest load is), this calcium is deposited. The inflamed area ossifies and a bone formation is formed, shaped like a spur. It is this phenomenon that came to be called a “heel spur.”
However, this name for the disease can be misleading. In his study, the American doctor DuVries noted [1] that an extensive heel spur (bone growth) is often observed, which does not cause any pain and is discovered by chance when diagnosing other diseases. Often, ossification itself is not a disease, but rather a normal age-related tissue change for the body. A spur may be present, but not be a pathology, and vice versa, a spur may not yet be present, but the process of painful inflammation is evident.
Plantar fasciitis of the foot causes pain in the heel . Pain sensations occur more often on the plantar surface, less often on the back surface of the bone, and can radiate to the toes and leg muscles. These symptoms may intensify in the evening or with prolonged walking or standing.
Despite the pain and tension experienced in the foot, the start of treatment is often delayed, as the sensations are attributed to tired legs. However, over time, the pain in the sole intensifies after rest. So-called “starting pains” are observed at the beginning of movement after rest or in the morning when getting up, after sleep.
Heel pain can occur suddenly or develop gradually. Often, a sharp pain is felt immediately when putting pressure on the foot; it seems as if something sharp has hit the heel. If the disease becomes chronic with the formation of a heel spur, the person tries to walk on tiptoes or rely only on the outer part of the foot, but not on the heel.
If pain in the foot occurs, it is important to consult a doctor ( orthopedist-traumatologist or surgeon ) in a timely manner. There are a number of diseases that present with similar symptoms. Self-medication can lead to serious complications, including dysfunction of the foot, the formation of contractures (immobility of joints) and lead to disability.
Your doctor will also be able to identify additional factors that may have contributed to the development of heel spurs and heel pain. In this case, first of all, treatment of the underlying disease is necessary. You can read more about these factors here.
A “heel spur” occurs when the process of damage to the plantar fascia begins to prevail over the process of its restoration.
Pain from plantar fasciitis (heel spur) is a protective reaction of the body. In this way, the body “urges” the person to protect damaged tissues from further injuries to the fascia and to give time for the proliferation of new cells in the area of necrosis.
The administration of painkillers (using an injection (blockade), phonophoresis, electrophoresis), the use of radiation therapy (x-ray therapy), when the nerve endings signaling pain are blocked, leads to rapid relief. As a result, the patient has the illusion of a “cure from the disease.” However, the price of this illusion is further damage to the fascia and progression of the disease. Once the medications or radiation therapy wears off, symptoms will return.
Like any other part of the body, the plantar fascia is made up of cells. Damage to the plantar fascia means the death of the corresponding cells. Dead cells are resorbed (utilized) naturally due to immune reactions. However, this process may not keep pace with the appearance of new dead cells as a result of constant microtrauma due to constant damaging loads (it is impossible to immediately stop walking).
Pain appears when too many dead cells accumulate, and the body launches an active recovery (inflammatory) process. Interstitial pressure increases around the heel spur in the soft tissues. This is necessary in order to increase the influx of immune cells and ensure their faster passage through the tissues. The more cells died, the stronger the reaction and pain.
In practice, when treating heel spurs, anti-inflammatory (in particular, hormonal) drugs are used, the essence of which is to “freeze” immune reactions. That is, the medicine acts in such a way that the body slows down its actions to cleanse the tissues in the heel area. As a result, the inflammatory process subsides and the person feels relief. However, the accumulation of dead cells, due to which a “heel spur” grows, remains . In this regard, a relapse is likely, since sooner or later the effect of the drug will end, the body will “wake up” and begin the inflammatory process again. This method is also dangerous because the administration of hormonal drugs often leads to necrosis (death) of the heel bone [2, p. 660].
Thus, proper treatment should involve helping the body cleanse the tissues of the heel to prevent the formation of a spur. It is better to give preference to methods that enhance microcirculation in tissues, increase blood flow and lymph flow (for example, phonation at home, shock wave therapy in the clinic). The inflammatory process will eventually end if measures are taken in parallel to reduce the load on the plantar fascia.
The plantar fascia is constantly exposed to shock when walking, running, and jumping. The degree of this load depends on the correctness of gait, the coherence of the entire musculoskeletal system, as well as on the chosen shoes. It is no coincidence that, according to statistics, heel spurs occur more often in women, since they often prefer beautiful, but “unhealthy” shoes (tight, with heels). The greater the load, the more often and more severely the fascia is damaged.
Excessive load on the foot occurs, for example, in cases where one leg was injured and the person began to limp on the other leg. However, this is not a typical case of heel spur formation. Much more often, the load on the foot increases with age due to the gradual deterioration of the entire neuromuscular shock absorption system, which is responsible for correct, gentle gait.
The neuromuscular shock absorption system refers to the system that controls the functioning of skeletal muscles (primarily the legs and back). Many mechanoreceptors that control the position of the joints allow the nervous system to control the muscles so as to ensure smooth movements and reduce shock loads when walking and running tenfold. Without such shock absorption, the joints and spine would degrade within a few months. It is the neuromuscular protection that “gives our legs” when we try to jump on straight legs, makes us limp, trying to protect the sore joint from overload.
Weakened muscles do not adequately absorb the everyday impacts of walking, running and jumping, resulting in damage to the plantar fascia as well as the spine. The functioning of the spinal cord, hidden in the spinal column, from which signals are sent to the muscles, is disrupted. Due to poor conduction of nerve impulses, muscles begin to work inconsistently, do not group properly for maximum shock absorption, and the plantar fascia and spine are damaged.
Due to pain in the heel, a person’s gait changes, he begins to limp or walk on tiptoe. The load on the muscles is distributed unevenly, and the destructive load on the spine increases.
This creates a vicious circle when muscle weakness leads to injury to the spine and plantar fascia, and problems in the spine further impair muscle function. It is very difficult for the body to break this vicious circle on its own, which is why it is so important to change your lifestyle and provide competent assistance to the muscles, kidneys, and spine.
Based on the above, effective treatment of heel spurs includes the following key measures:
Compliance with these principles allows you to avoid relapse (recurrence of the disease).
Currently, there are many medical treatments for heel spurs, varying in effectiveness, cost and availability. Unfortunately, most of them do not meet all three principles of effective treatment of heel spurs. Most methods affect only the heel area and are aimed only at reducing/eliminating heel pain, relieving swelling and destroying bone growth. In this regard, some time after treatment, relapse (recurrence of the disease) often occurs.
The exception is the phonation method . Phonation (vibroacoustic therapy) is the transmission of sound microvibration (frequency range (30-20,000 Hz)) into the human body using a special medical device.
Currently, this is one of the effective methods for treating heel spurs for the following reasons:
1. Phonics improves blood and lymph flow , promotes tissue cleansing in the heel area and natural resorption of bone growth . Thanks to sound microvibrations, immune cells pass through tissues faster and more actively. As a result, the inflammatory process proceeds more easily, with less intensity and pain, and the heel spur resolves in a shorter period of time without surgical intervention.
At the same time, cell damage is excluded during phonation: the amplitude of microvibrations is comparable to the size of cells (0.0001-0.05 mm), and the frequency is within the speech range, that is, similar to those microvibrations that arise when the vocal cords are excited during singing or speaking.
2. The method has proven effectiveness in reducing pain. Usually the pain goes away within 2-3 weeks. According to a European study, vibroacoustic therapy (phonation) is more effective in reducing pain than ultrasound and laser therapy [3].
Graph of changes in pain intensity according to the McGill
This graph shows that the effectiveness of phonation in reducing pain intensity is 30% higher than that of laser and ultrasound therapy.
The effectiveness of phonation is comparable to shock wave therapy (SWT), and a similar result is achieved faster - in 2-3 weeks. As many studies on shockwave therapy show, a pronounced effect (reduction in pain intensity) is observed only after 3 or more months, and before that a person is forced to walk with severe pain. In practice, phonation shows better results with more frequent use (2-3 times a day).
3. Restores the elasticity of the plantar fascia by improving nutrition in this area and accelerating regenerative processes. Strengthens the effect of therapeutic exercises aimed at stretching the calf muscle and plantar fascia.
4. Phonation can be used from birth. The therapeutic effect is based on the natural sound microvibration of the body in the audible (speech) range, in contrast to ultrasound and infrasound. It has a limited list of contraindications.
5. Aimed at restoring neuromuscular shock absorption. Unlike other types of therapy, the phonation technique includes an effect not only on the area of the heel spur, but also on the muscles of the lower leg and the kidneys.
6. Prevents diseases of the joints and spine.
Additional advantages of this method:
8. Possibility of use at home and ease of use of the devices. Phonics can be performed at home using Vitafon medical devices. That is, there is no need to go for procedures with excruciating pain in the heel. After completing treatment, you can start preventing heel spurs at any time.
Phonics (vibroacoustic therapy) is one of the new and promising areas in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system; the effectiveness of phonation has been confirmed by a number of scientific studies.
Several models of phonation devices are registered with Roszdravnadzor. All of them are produced under the Vitafon brand. Today, these are the only devices existing in the world that make it possible to transmit microvibration energy, similar to biological microvibrations, into the human body. For more than 25 years of use in more than 2 million people, not a single case of negative side effect has been reported.
The official method of treating heel spurs at home using Vitafon medical devices can be found here.
There is a possibility that your attending physician may not know about this new modern treatment method (phonation) and the corresponding devices, so before going to your appointment, we suggest printing out a leaflet with information about contraindications and methods of treating heel spurs.
Let's look at what a heel spur is, why there is pain in the heel, how it occurs and what to do to reduce it or get rid of it completely, what treatment for a heel spur can be chosen. You will also find out whether this is one disease or two different ones (because they often write nonsense!):
Heel spur in medicine - what is it? This is the name of plantar fasciitis or plantar fasciitis - inflammation of the plantar aponeurosis, and is characterized by one striking symptom - acute pain in the heel, which is especially severe in the morning, up to the inability to step on the foot.
Many readers are confused by the image below and hence the misconception that heel spurs and plantar fasciitis are different diseases.
What is plantar fascia? Plantalis is the sole of the foot. And on it there is a huge and thick ligament along the entire length of the foot - from the heel to the phalanges of the toes (this is not a muscle but a tendon). On one side it is attached from below to the heel bone, and near the fingers - to the terminal phalanges.
For various reasons (see below), excessive tension of the plantar fascia occurs , up to microscopic tears at the site of its attachment to the heel bone. The fascia itself consists of a large number of fibers - it is on them that micro-tears occur, causing inflammation of the fascia and, as a result, acute pain.
What are the functions of this thick and long ligament - foot aneurysm:
Fasciitis is an inflammation and the expression “heel spur” is incorrect, but it arose because a hook is often visible on the heel when photographed. But the problem is not with the hook, it doesn’t hurt and doesn’t put pressure on anything (yes, yes!). It is formed as a result of inflammation, which occurred with acute pain.
On the heel, closer to the attachment of the ligament, at the site of inflammation, a round area appears, which ossifies due to calcium deposits - fibrotizes. It just doesn't hurt. The area before the hook has formed hurts. But thanks to the formation of a hook, we can talk about the occurrence of an X-ray positive heel spur.
And such an image, which divides this one disease into two (I found it on the Internet), is absolutely wrong - I myself have already written on it that these are one and the same disease. More precisely, a spur is the result of ossification of the fascia at the site of its attachment to the bone due to its inflammation.
There is no relationship between the size of this bone growth and the intensity of heel pain . Quite often, pain occurs in the absence of a growth as such, and in some cases, an x-ray shows the presence of a growth, but the person does not experience pain.
A little lower, look at the correct image of spur formation, which clearly shows the stages and mechanism of hook formation as a result of increased mechanical stress. Here they are:
I emphasize once again that heel spur and plantar fasciitis are names of the same disease . It is popularly called a heel spur because of the obvious hook on the heel on x-rays, and the medical name is plantar fasciitis.
The x-ray image almost does not show that the hook (spur) has a continuation in the form of the plantar ligament and this is its ossified area, and not the growth of the bone tissue of the heel as a result of a violation of salt metabolism. We have dealt with the main misconception of many sufferers - the bone tissue of the heel does not grow when a spur forms .
In most cases, plantar fasciitis is a disease of women ; men rarely get it. It depends on fluctuations in hormones at the beginning of menopause - and as a result, tissues lose their elasticity. In this case, it is tendon tissue and the place of its attachment to the bone is the most vulnerable place, which is why plantar fasciitis develops here. Up to 15-17% of the female population have this problem, and after 50 years, every fourth woman is sick; after 75 years, up to 85% of the population (both men and women) suffers from plantar fasciitis.
Most readers probably froze in anticipation of seeing in the photo human legs with spurs like a rooster, right? I hasten to disappoint you: outwardly, the presence of a spur in the heel is almost not manifested, except in those rare cases when it is not a lower, but an upper spur. However, judge for yourself by looking at the photo - the most that can be seen in the picture is a bruise at the site of a large rupture of the fascia, and in most cases this is not even the case.
The spur is visible only on an x-ray (see above).
See what a heel spur looks like externally, as seen from the side of the foot (all pictures refer to the lower heel spur:
As you can see, there are various photos of the foot with plantar fasciitis - from one that has not changed its appearance at all - to a foot with bruising or a change in skin color at the site of the induration (spur). But the process is not visually displayed anywhere.
Photo of the upper heel spur (side view):
Anyone who has had inflammation of the plantar fascia knows that in the morning, when you try to step on your heel, you get the feeling that a nail has been hammered into it - such an acute pain. Because overnight, the tissue destroyed by inflammation begins to recover, and when you try to stand on your feet with all your weight In the body, tissue micro-tears occur again and inflammation with pain occurs.
During illness, walking in medium heels helps. Heels play the role of instep supports in this situation; they form the arch of the foot and support it. Sometimes the disease does not require treatment - there is a form of plantar fasciitis that goes away on its own.
It is the inflammatory process of the tendon tissue, and not some kind of growth of the bone tissue of the heel, that causes pain, which is called plantar fasciitis or heel spur.
Also, the occurrence of heel spurs or plantar fasciitis occurs only as a result of increased stress on the fascia and its inflammation . The spur does not put pressure on the tissue, and it does not cause pain. It is caused by fascial tears and inflammation.
There are a number of causes for heel spurs. Fasciitis occurs under a combination of various circumstances:
As you can see, risk factors for heel pain include age over 50, female gender, excess weight, flat feet, shoes with very high heels or no heels, and foot injuries.
Symptoms of the disease:
Which doctor should I contact for heel pain?
If your clinic does not have such a doctor, you will have to contact your family doctor or therapist, he will send you for an x-ray.
Before treating heel fasciitis, you need to make sure that it is a heel spur, as there is a wide range of diseases that cause heel pain. It is the orthopedic doctor or traumatologist who will be able to correctly establish the diagnosis.
Once we have made sure that this is in fact a heel spur (inflammation of the heel fascia), and not a systemic disease or injury, we need to understand that there are many treatment options, it is multifaceted and multicomponent, and quite long-term. Each patient can choose a medicine for a spur and a method of treatment individually - with the help of a doctor, or find traditional medicine recipes and test their effectiveness on their own heel.
Since the disease is caused by tension in the fascia and increased load on it, all efforts should be aimed at reducing the load on the plantar fascia, as well as helping it become more elastic (the plantar fascia is not an elastic formation) by stretching. The doctor’s main task is to correct the existing foot deformity by selecting insoles and arch supports, which will make it possible to relieve the middle and front arch of the foot and prescribe conservative treatment.
How to cure a heel spur? It is necessary to undertake complex treatment: cold, exercise therapy (physical therapy), insoles and a month or two of these procedures. If there is no result, then shock wave therapy and injections are prescribed. But, it is important to remember that in a single version, none of the methods listed below will work.
I hasten to please you: even if a person decides to do nothing at all , the heel will hurt for about a year, and then everything will go away - the fascia will stretch due to tears, but a relapse is possible over time.
The first thing to do when your plantar fascia is inflamed is to choose the right shoes. Without this, there is no point in starting treatment at all. Shoes for plantar fasciitis should have low heels - up to 5 cm (for women) and inner insoles or heel inserts with a hole for the pain area. A heel higher or lower than 5 centimeters is a factor in increasing pain with improper load on the foot and stretching the fascia. The best thing is orthopedic shoes that support the arch of the foot and correct incorrect position.
Taping . Taping is the first way to reduce heel pain, which literally means applying special adhesive patches. For plantar fasciitis, an unusual patch is used—kenesio tape, which is stretchable and has a number of useful properties. It improves blood circulation and relieves pain by fixing the foot in a certain position. We measure the tape, round the edge for better fixation and begin gluing it onto the foot, starting from the bend of the heel. Then the kinesia tape can be stretched a little and pasted over the entire foot, carefully smoothing and pressing the tape. Now we rub it so that it warms up better and sticks to the foot.
Kinesio tape lasts for 3-4 days. You can take a shower and swim in the pool with it. The only recommendation is not to blow dry it, otherwise it will stick to your foot too much. You can use an ordinary patch instead of tape, but the effect will be less pronounced. The tape will relax the fascia, reduce swelling and relieve pain. A one-time application gives a positive effect after two hours.
We use night orthoses. At night we put on orthoses - special devices. They fix the plantar fascia in a certain position with straps and it will be slightly taut all night. In this position, overnight fusion of fascia tears occurs and in the morning, when stepping on the heel, there will be no sudden change in the position of the plantar fascia and micro-tears. In the morning there will be no such painful stretching with acute pain. It is recommended to sleep in an orthosis for one to three months, but rarely can anyone withstand so much time sleeping in an orthosis with a stretched foot - it is uncomfortable and insomnia often occurs from the uncomfortable position of the foot.
The role of a night brace is to avoid muscle tears in the morning. Statistics show that regular use of this one method alone often results in a cure within 46 days.
If it is not possible to buy orthoses, you can use an elastic bandage or bandage . Having bandaged the ankle at night, we fix the heel with plasters or an elastic bandage in a taut position (instead of an orthosis). This will partially relieve morning pain. Felt boots can also serve as a night orthosis - they cut off the top and make a small window for the fingers. They wear and sleep in felt boots.
Therapeutic plasters . There are Chinese medicinal plasters based on aconite root, gentian and angelica - for example, a patch for the treatment of heel spurs (Bone Spur Plaster) 8 pieces per package, which are glued to a painful area to relieve pain and inflammation. Treatment requires 15-20 patches.
pepper patches provide no worse effect , as they stimulate blood flow, which means inflammation and pain are reduced. It is recommended to stick it on the entire fascia and keep it on the foot for 2 days (if the burning sensation is too strong, immediately remove the patch and lubricate the foot with a rich cream).
Also, a good result of warming up the foot and relieving pain is given by the salipod patch for calluses , which, according to some participants in the women's forum, was used for heel spurs.
Orthopedic insoles. During the day, it is important to distribute the body load over the entire foot. In order to properly distribute pressure over the entire foot, an orthopedic insole is needed. But not the insole that is made of hard plastic, but an individual soft insole.
When encountering a hard insole, the pain does not decrease, but intensifies! Incorrectly selected insoles can cause an exacerbation of the disease. Another thing is a custom soft insole. The orthopedic doctor has a blank that heats up and the person, as it were, tramples the imprint of his foot in it and due to this imprint, the pressure is correctly distributed over the entire foot. The insole has a shoe for unloading under the heel.
Also, arched heel pads can be purchased separately and inserted as inserts into shoes.
Individual insoles and heel pads for heel spurs are made by orthopedic doctors themselves, but there are also mass-produced insoles and heel pads.
The price in Moscow of such an orthopedic heel pad (one) with a central heel spur is 400 rubles (the prices provided were valid at the time of writing the article), gel heel pads (pair) are 1,490 rubles. There are more expensive ones - up to 2000 rubles, there are the cheapest ones - just unloading - 250 rubles, as you can see - a choice for any wallet.
Pills or drug treatment. For severe pain, we take non-steroidal painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. The list of such drugs is long. The most effective drugs for relieving pain are Ketorolac, Ketoprofen, Diclofenac, Indomethacin, and for relieving inflammation - Indomethacin, Flurbiprofen, Diclofenac and Piroxicam. Take them three times a day.
Let's consider treatment with dimexide for inflammation of the heel spur, namely, a compress of dimexide. It is used only externally and diluted with water. If everything is done correctly, then after 15 minutes a demixide compress will relieve the pain. Before using the compress, it is recommended to rub the heel with ointment with diclofenac or ketoprofen, which will help relieve inflammation faster.
Recipe for preparing and using dimexide:
In the instructions for use of the drug, carefully read the contraindications (cataracts and glaucoma, myocardial infarction and angina, atherosclerosis, stroke, pregnancy and breastfeeding).
If inflammation of the fascia is not suppressed, a fairly quick result is achieved by daily rubbing (three times a day) ointments: hydrocartisone, Diclofenac and indomethacin on the steamed skin of the foot.
This is a brief summary of the treatment of heel spurs with medication.
Alternation of cold and heat. Special gel insoles from the freezer (relieve pain with cold) are alternated with wearing slippers with heated soles. Changing cold and heat also gives good relief.
You can do exercises for heel spurs yourself, without a doctor, to stretch the plantar ligament and calf muscles. They can be done in the morning, afternoon, and even at work.
What is important to know about physical therapy? It must be performed correctly, preferably for the first time under the supervision of a rehabilitation physician. If this is not possible, then you should know the main thing: during the exercise you need to feel the tension of the Achilles tendon . If this sensation of stretching of the Achilles tendon is not present, then the exercises will not bring any benefit.
The question often arises as to why it is necessary to do an Achilles tendon stretching exercise. The Achilles tendon attaches to the heel bone at the top, and the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone at the bottom. Accordingly, if you stretch the Achilles tendon and pull it up, it will pull up the heel and stretch the plantar fascia. at stretching the Achilles tendon . The second group of exercises stretches the fascia by flexing the toes and thus it becomes more elastic.
How long should you do the exercises? Stretching exercises for the plantar fascia should be done regularly, for at least a month, three times a day for 10-15 minutes.
Let's look at what exercises you can do in the morning when you get out of bed.
First exercise. For the first exercise, you need to stand against a wall, place your sore leg behind your healthy leg, rest your hands on the wall, and half-squat until you feel a stretch in the back of your lower leg muscles. In this way, a smooth tension of the muscles occurs. Do not lift your heels off the floor.
The second exercise is to stand on two books with your feet and hang your heels from them. Rock your heels up and down. This will help stretch the plantar fascia.
Third exercise. Picking up small objects scattered on the floor with your toes or rolling a bottle with your foot strengthens the foot ligament and lower leg muscles well. If doing the exercise hurts, take a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Cold will significantly reduce pain.
How to relieve acute pain when doing exercises?
Acute pain from a heel spur can be relieved with the help of cold therapy - apply a piece of ice to the location of the pain - exactly to the point that hurts for 10-15 minutes. Then a break is taken for half an hour and cold is again applied to the heel for 10-15 minutes.
Likewise, cold therapy is used not only during therapeutic exercises, but also after prolonged stress on the foot, at the end of the work day, or in the morning when the pain is most acute.
I suggest watching a video with therapeutic exercises for plantar fasciitis:
As an addition to the first video, watch another recommendation and advice from Dr. Demchenko on relieving morning pain due to heel spurs for those who run. I especially liked the passive exercise, where you sit on your heels, curling your toes under you, with your feet parallel to each other:
Interesting scientific research on the treatment of heel spurs was conducted in Mexico, where plantar fasciitis was treated with Botex (botulism toxin). When Botox is injected into the heel, the fascia relaxes and pain and inflammation are relieved. When comparing the duration of treatment of two groups, some of which underwent traditional treatment, others with Botex, with the help of Botex, recovery took place in 10 days, with standard treatment - up to two months.
X-ray therapy. In fact, X-rays relieve inflammation, namely pain. They do not greatly affect the resorption of the inflamed area, calcification decreases slightly, but so insignificantly that it is not significantly reflected on the x-ray. X-rays kill nerve endings. It is recommended to repeat the procedure after two months to consolidate the effect. It is considered the safest method of treating spurs, which is used after exercise therapy, applying cold, and using insoles did not provide the expected relief.
Ultrasound. Treatment of heel spurs with ultrasound is the process of heating tissue in a certain place with ultrasonic waves. Unlike shock wave therapy, the process of warming up the heel (by 2 degrees) is a completely painless procedure that causes an increased rate of metabolic reactions at the site of impact. It gives results only in a complex of procedures.
Shock wave therapy (SWT). Shock wave therapy is now very popular and successful in treating heel spurs. It is based on the fact that ultrasonic shock waves block the impulse from pain receptors. Accordingly, they reduce pain and inflammation. The effectiveness of such procedures is 50/50 - that is, it helps some, but does not help others.
The point of shock wave therapy is that a certain wavelength affects soft tissue and activates regeneration processes, which improves healing and scar formation. They add it after a month has passed with exercise therapy, applying cold, using insoles, but no result in reducing heel pain is observed. Then 5 sessions of shock wave therapy are prescribed - as an additional procedure to exercise therapy, cold and insoles. We continue to do everything previously prescribed , since shock wave procedures are effective only in combination.
Some doctors consider shock wave therapy a controversial method, which provides relief for a while, and after a year and a half there is a relapse that cannot be removed by anything other than the administration of hormonal drugs.
Shock wave therapy, reviews - what patients who have undergone shock wave therapy say:
1) Positive Feedback:
As you can see, the procedure is painful!
2) negative reviews about shock wave therapy:
Another very negative review - not only is there no positive result, but there has been a strong deterioration:
3. reviews of doctors - physiotherapist and orthopedic traumatologist:
As you can see, there are different opinions and results on the use of shock wave therapy for heel inflammation. Reviews taken from the site forum:
Vitafon drug. This physiotherapeutic drug will help you massage your feet at home and replace a professional massage therapist. The massage is performed using vibroacoustics. Blood flow and lymph movement improves, which relieves any inflammation or irritation.
Due to the constant change in sound frequency, tissues and organs are affected through microvibrations. The frequency change varies in two ranges:
There are several types of apparatus. The most popular microvibrator Vitafon looks like this:
Creating a certain sound background - phonation - makes it possible to utilize damaged and dead cells at the site of inflammation, which significantly reduces the treatment time for fasciitis.
This method is used when no treatment for the inflamed calcaneal fascia helps . An injection of an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid drug will definitely relieve pain. The glucocorticosteroid drug is injected into the place where it hurts the most. The injection is unpleasant and painful, but they say that it often lasts for the rest of your life. Sometimes - only for three months - it varies, there may be a relapse.
This is what treating a heel spur with a heel injection looks like:
Many qualified orthopedists are against corticosteroid blockade of fascial inflammation . Why do doctors not recommend injections of painkillers, despite the fact that the prolonged action of the drugs relieves pain and swelling:
At the initial stages of the disease, you can use a cream (75 ml), which is a dietary supplement based on juniper and lemon aromatic oils with herbal extracts.
We apply the cream on the heel twice a day, after taking a salt bath on the feet, wiping and drying the feet. Apply with light movements, massaging the heel with Tiger Eye Heel Spur Cream. During treatment with cream, salt baths and massage, it is advisable to use orthopedic inserts, insoles or heel pads to relieve the load on the foot.
The massage is very simple - a few movements with the fingertips - watch a short video:
The cream is intended to relieve pain and discomfort associated with plantar fasciitis. Effective only when used in combination.
Reviews from the use of the cream are different, I will cite two: positive and negative:
From the above it follows that the cream should be used only as an additional remedy.
Removal of heel fasciitis is possible in different ways. Some types have already been discussed above—shock wave therapy, x-ray therapy. But the most popular and modern way to remove spurs is laser therapy and laser surgery .
Laser therapy relieves the inflammatory process without removing the growth. The spur does not dissolve, and the beam relieves pain and swelling. The main effect of the laser is to stimulate blood circulation in the inflamed fascia, which leads to a rapid cure of fasciitis by relieving swelling and pain.
Laser heel treatment compares favorably with other procedures in that it is absolutely painless, has no side effects, does not require hospitalization, cannot cause allergies, and most importantly, the effect of laser beams significantly increases the effectiveness of the medications prescribed to the patient.
The therapy takes place in several stages of 10 days with a break between them of two weeks . The first stage is irradiation with a frequency of 50 Hz, a power of 80 mW, the second is the use of a frequency of 80 Hz, a power of 80 mW, and, if necessary, the third with an irradiation frequency of about 600 Hz and a power of 90 mW. The cost of one session is around 900-1000 rubles, which means one stage of 10 sessions will cost about 10 thousand rubles, all three stages will cost about 30 thousand rubles.
Laser surgery involves removing the bone growth, that is, it is a laser that crushes the bone growth of the heel spur. using anesthesia by perforating the growth with a needle. With this method, the process is removed, but the cause of its occurrence is not removed - increased load on the arch of the foot, which can again lead to relapse if all measures are not taken to reduce the mechanical load on the foot.
Now you know how to treat heel spurs and there are ways to conservatively treat heel fasciitis. Not only that, but many of the treatments are easy to perform at home.
The surgeon briefly explains how to treat heel spurs:
1. The question is often asked: how to get rid of heel spurs forever?
There is only one answer here - to relieve the load on the arch of the foot using any of the methods listed above, which will relieve inflammation of the fascia. If someone recommends a miracle cure that will help you get rid of spurs in one or three days and forever, don’t believe them! Either the person did not have a spur, but a thorn (plantar wart), or he is prone to cheating. When treating plantar warts, celandine for papillomas helps well.
Even blockade with injections in the heel can eventually (often after 3 months) remind you of heel pain.
2. Question: what is a heel spur code according to ICD 10 ?
This is the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10), where plantar fascial fibromatosis is numbered M72.2. (source).
Question: Can a heel spur be cured?
A heel spur cannot be cured 100% until then, and relapse is always possible until the causes of its occurrence - increased mechanical stress on the arch of the foot - are eliminated. And it doesn’t matter how you are treated and that you are promised complete and quick relief from the spur. You may need to cope with increased weight, standing work, or flat feet.
4. Question: why am I being denied surgery to remove a spur?
This question is answered by the chief physician of the center V.I. Dikul Losiny Ostrov, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Mutin Igor Nikolaevich in the video:
There is another, as a last resort method - surgical treatment , but I will not describe it - there is a 50% chance of a complete cure and a 50% chance of becoming disabled. The risk is too high... And the operation is performed when there is a large area of fascial hardening.
But you can stop at some folk methods of treating spurs.
There are a huge number of recipes and all kinds of ways to treat spurs with folk remedies at home. But their effectiveness in curing plantar fasciitis is often questionable.
Very conflicting reviews from those who used traditional treatment at home: some are simply delighted with the quick relief of pain, others say that, apart from shock wave therapy, nothing helped them. As I provide recipes, I will add reviews on them. Any procedure is done on a steamed heel.
Let's consider what traditional treatment recommends: how and how to treat a spur on the heel.
To treat heel fasciitis, we use a 3% iodine solution, since 5% can cause a burn. Iodine will warm up, relieve pain and improve blood circulation in the heel.
How can iodine be used:
The effectiveness of iodine treatment was noted only at the beginning of inflammation. Although I tested the effectiveness of the iodine mesh when the formation of a bunion began on the big toe, the redness and bulge disappeared very quickly. You can learn how to get rid of a bunion by following the link.
The bile of cattle (cows and bulls) is used. Treatment of heel spurs with medical bile has several recipes.
The simplest of them is to soak gauze folded in several layers with medical bile from a pharmacy and apply it as an anesthetic and warming compress at night, wrapping the foot with compress paper and securing it with a narrow sock, over which we put a woolen one. You can fix it with an adhesive plaster, but do not completely cover the heel with it. If the burning sensation is severe, bile can be diluted (alcohol, vodka, shampoo).
Any prescription requires use for at least 20 days, even if the effect has already been obtained - otherwise a relapse is possible.
Contraindications: should not be used by pregnant, breastfeeding women and small children (delicate skin), as well as by inflammation of the lymph nodes.
There are recipes with various additives in the form of hot pepper, camphor alcohol, glycerin, honey, vodka, and shampoo. Let's take a look at the most common ones:
Reviews after treatment with medical bile confirm that getting rid of heel spurs with pure bile or with additives is absolutely possible:
There are recommendations from traditional healers who can speed up the process of treating spurs with bile - before applying compresses at night, put knotweed grass in your shoes during the day and walk with it all day. This is how you alternate - a compress of bile at night, and knotweed in the shoes under the foot during the day (fresh knotweed every day).
Remember, bile has not only medicinal properties, but also the ability to cause allergies, so watch out for redness on the heel. Working with it is not particularly pleasant because of the pungent and persistent odor, and the bile is very easily soiled.
To prevent possible allergies, if there is a spur on the heel, it is recommended to lubricate it with a thick layer of Viprosal ointment and massage the heel with light finger movements until the ointment is completely absorbed, and only then apply a compress of bile.
Proponents of the method claim that it is effective. For each person it is individual. But why not take a look?
In this recipe, the raw egg is poured with vinegar essence and infused. Let's look in more detail at the recipe for treating spur inflammation with egg shells dissolved in vinegar and mixed with butter:
I would like to clarify that Malakhov in his program recommended replacing vinegar essence with 9% vinegar to avoid burns. Then the shell will take longer to dissolve, but as a result the ointment will not cause peeling of the skin on the heel as a result of its burn. Apply an ointment based on egg shells and oil in the form of a compress at night, periodically changing it to a fresh one until the pain is completely relieved - about 14 days. Sometimes this can occur after several sessions.
Reviews of treatment with vinegar and eggs are quite contradictory. The method helped some, while others only burned their heels.
There are various recipes based on the use of salt. Sea salt is best, but if you don't have it, rock salt will do. You can take baths with salt or simply warm them with dry heat.
Salt treatment is effective when used in combination with medication, physical therapy and orthopedic insoles.
Let's look at the following recipes for using salt in the traditional treatment of fasciitis:
It is precisely these salt foot baths that are mentioned in this article a little higher - when using the Tiger Eye Heel Spur cream. Some people suffering from fasciitis after salt baths applied Pomorin toothpaste to the site of acute pain for two weeks, which brought them relief.
Treatment of heel spurs with salt is typical when carrying out procedures at home, without visiting a medical institution. The method is simple and effective when combined with other measures.
There are many other traditional medicine recipes for treating spurs that use garlic, propolis, apple, raw potatoes, various leaves and extracts. You can easily find them on the Internet.
In today's article, you learned what a heel spur is, why heel pain occurs, how it occurs and what to do to reduce it or completely get rid of it, what treatment for a heel spur you can choose.
Since I invested a lot of time, effort and knowledge in writing this article, I would be grateful if as many people as possible get to know it - share it on your social networks by clicking the buttons on the left or at the bottom of the article.