Heel Spur Symptoms

Our heel is made of the largest bone of the foot - the heel bone or the calcaneus. It is this bone that takes the maximum weight of the body as we stand and move around. A thick pad of fat known as the heel pad provides cushion on the underneath as the heel bone bears the impact of walking. Other than this, the heel bone transfers the force of the Achilles tendon to other parts of the foot. In certain conditions, a bony outgrowth may develop from the heel bone. This is known as the heel spur. One of the common heel spur symptoms is pain in the heel of the foot.

Causes

Although plantar fasciitis and heel spur are often used interchangeably, it is important to understand that they are not one and the same thing. Plantar fascia is a thick connective tissue that runs along the underside of the foot from the heel bone to the metatarsal bones of the feet. Plantar fasciitis refers to inflammation of the tissue plantar fascia. Heel spur on the other hand, is a bony outgrowth from the heel bone. The calcium outgrowth is the result of the plantar fascia pulling at the heel bone.

Heel spurs develop most commonly in those who tend to overstress or overuse the plantar fascia ligament. Athletes who are physically very active are the ones who are very prone to developing this condition. Overweight people and women who frequently wear high-heeled or ill fitting shoes are also susceptible to experiencing signs of this problem. Middle aged people, individuals with a history of back pain, those suffering from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and persons with weak calf muscles or poor blood circulation are also at risk of developing heel spurs.

Symptoms

The main symptom is pain in the heel of the foot that may also spread to other areas. This pain is most commonly felt during the morning when one gets up from sleep. What's interesting about the heel bone spur symptom is that the pain is not due to discomfort in the bony outgrowth which is also known as the calcaneal spur but due to this bone exerting pressure on the soft tissue around the heel.

One may also feel heel pain due to the bone spur when one starts to walk after an extended period of rest. Although one might expect the pain to increase with walking, it actually subsides. This is because the nerves and capillaries are also at rest when the person is not walking around. Once it pinches due to heel spur when a person moves around, the discomfort caused to the nerves and capillaries is felt as pain in the heel. With continued walking, the soft tissue around the heel adjusts with the bony outgrowth and the pain subsides. Although pain in the heel is the direct symptom, as one tries to modify the walks to avoid the pain, one may experience pain in back and hip as well.

Treatment

Taking Rest: As the pain is caused due to the heel spur pressing into the surrounding tissues that get inflamed, restricting heavy activity that may cause stress on the tissues in the foot gives them time to heal. This means that if you go out for jogging, stop doing so till pain in the heel subsides. Avoid long periods of standing or walking around too.

Cold Compress: Applying ice packs helps in alleviating the pain due to inflamed tissues in the heel. It reduces some of the symptoms and provides relief in case of severe pain.

Exercises: There are specific exercises and stretches that provide relief. Towel pull, cross leg stretch and stair stretch are some heel pain exercises.

Surgery: For certain people with heel spur, surgery is required. In this form of treatment, the spur is surgically removed or the plantar fascia causing strain on the heel bone may be cut or detached.

Medicines: Other than these modes of treatment, certain anti-inflammatory medicines also help in alleviating pain due to heel spur.

Although heel spur symptoms may be a result of age or other problems of the bone, wearing comfortable and well fitting shoes can help minimize the incidents of heel spurs to a great extent. Also if one engages in activities that cause excess strain on the foot, providing adequate rest to the foot is important. Strengthening the foot with proper exercise is another way of minimizing injury, be it external or internal.