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What are heel spurs?
Causes
Who's at risk
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
If I ignore a heel spur
Prevention
FAQs
Heel spurs (calcaneal spurs) are bony bumps of calcium deposits that form on the heel bone. They are often the result of high prolonged
periods (months and years) of stress being placed on the tendons that attach to the heel bone. The protrusions often occur in
conjunction to, or as a result of Achilles
tendinopathy
and plantar fasciitis, as the tendon's involved
with these conditions are attached to the heel bone and repetitively “pull” on the bone. This causes micro trauma and the
body attempts to heal itself by creating more bone, becoming these calcified protrusions known as heel spurs.
Like Achilles tendinopathy & plantar fasciitis, heel spurs develop from overuse or over training. This training puts extra strain on the muscles and ligaments around the heel and ankle, which eventually puts excessive strain on the heel bone, causing these spurs.
The most common causes of heel spurs include:
If you've had plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinopathy for over 6-8 weeks, then you're at a higher risk of developing heel spurs.
Considering this, there are also specific groups of people that, if they have one of these conditions, are also more likely to develop heel spurs than others:
The thought of increased bone creation may sound uncomfortable and painful, however, it's not usually the heel spurs that cause your heel pain. Instead, the pain you feel is most likely connected to a pre-existing condition like plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinopathy.
Common symptoms associated with the condition include:
There's also the chance that you may not experience any symptoms that relate to heel spurs. Some can go unnoticed and will only be picked up through an X-ray or other tests done for another foot related issue.
We diagnose a heel spur by taking into account your signs and symptoms and the history of the injury, as well as perform a physical assessment. If we suspect a heel spur, we will refer for X-ray imaging.
Our treatment pathways for heel spurs are dependent on your signs and symptoms. If it is painless then our first course of action is to simply monitor for any changes.
Commonly, heel spurs are not the source of pain so it is important to identify the real cause of your heel pain and begin, or continue, treatment for that condition (e.g. plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinopathy). Often, treatment of the underlying condition will help to resolve your pain and heel spur surgery will not be required.
If it's identified that you're experiencing heel pain due to another condition, then the following treatments may be required to help control your symptoms:
Surgery is rarely advised, however, if these conservative treatments fail to reduce your heel pain it may be required as a last resort.
The fact of the matter is, heel spurs do not go away without surgery, but if it's not causing you pain, then you have nothing to worry about and you can continue to live a normal life with your heel spurs.
It is important to address the cause of your heel pain. If you ignore this pain for too long you could end up in a moon boot for an extended period of time, or surgery may be required. You will also have a prolonged healing period which may prevent you from exercising and completing your daily activities.
There are a number of factors you can implement that will help to reduce your risk of developing heel spurs:
If you are injured and experiencing heel pain, the first thing you should do is look at your activity levels and modify them if needed.
Follow these three simple rules to help manage your heel pain
Not everyone needs orthotics, but they can play an integral role in treating or relieving pain in several foot and lower limb conditions.
The heat and humidity of an Australian summer makes it a prime time for issues to arise, so our newest podiatrist Lucy has put together
seven helpful tips to keep your feet healthy and problem free throughout summer.
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