Heel spurs: symptoms and treatment.
What is the heel spur? The heel spur is a small bony enlargement with a sharp tip located on the plantar area of the calcaneus. This disease can develop in any person, regardless of age or sex. It is possible to defeat only one foot or both. The size of the calcaneal spur varies from 3 to 12 mm. At the same time, the intensity of pain sensations is more closely related to the location of the build-up, and not to its size. The closer the spur is to the nerve endings, the more painful it will be.
The heel spur can be diagnosed byultrasound and x-ray. In the picture you can see the formation resembling a beak or a thorn in shape, which squeezes the soft tissues of the foot and causes pain.
Heel spurs: symptoms.
The main symptom of this disease issevere pain in the heel, which occurs when the load. Initially, it manifests itself when lifting from bed in the morning or after a long sitting. During the day, the pain subsides. Then, with the further development of the disease, the pain sensations acquire a permanent character, regardless of the time of day and the position of the body.
With a heel spur, a person tries not to load the heel as much as possible, so that the center of gravity is transferred to the outer or the front part of the foot, the gait changes.
Corns and swelling can also form in the calcaneal region.
Causes of the disease.
If you think that you have a heelspur (the symptoms of which are described above), then it is worth finding out the causes of this disease. First of all, a certain load on the heel gives flat feet, as the load and the center of gravity shifts.
Overweight also plays a huge role. The increased weight of the body overloads the foot too much.
The heel spur can arise due to abnormalities in the functioning of the circulatory system, as well as in the presence of chronic and acute injuries to the feet.
Often when a hepatic spur is affected, the symptoms are not caused by the build-up itself, but by the inflammatory processes that occur in the soft tissues.
How to treat a heel spur?
Treatment of such an unpleasant disease is appointed based on the causes of its appearance, and also based on the severity of the manifestation of symptoms. There are several treatment methods:
- Drug therapy. It is designed to eliminate inflammatory processes, significantly reducing pain, by applying to the affected area of gels and ointments. It is often used injections of steroids in the affected area. From this procedure, you can expect fairly fast results, but it is very painful.
- Physiotherapeutic procedures. Among them, the most frequently used ones are UHF, magnetotherapy, phonophoresis, laser exposure.
- Massage and therapeutic gymnastics.
- Orthopedic insoles.
- Folk remedies as an auxiliary factor.
- Surgical intervention.
The heel spur, the symptoms of which often manifest suddenly, can dissolve itself, if in the early stages of adherence to certain preventive measures:
- Walk in soft, comfortable shoes. Try not to wear shoes with high heels, sandals without a back and shoes with a narrowed toe.
- Do exercises that prevent the appearance of flat feet. If this problem has already occurred - wear special orthopedic insoles or shoes.
- Have a rest actively.
- Pay attention to the condition of the spine and joints.
- Walk more often barefoot on the sand or grass, do massage procedures.
Now that you know what the heel spurs are, the symptoms and their treatment, you will be able to turn in time to an orthopedist who will quickly save you from such unpleasant sensations.
